Evanston Township High School released its report card this month with students’ performance on standardized exams broken down by gender, race and other factors as required by the recently enacted No Child Left Behind Act.

It came as no surprise that in Evanston, and elsewhere, low-income and minority students performed worse than their wealthier, white classmates. White students had a success rate of 85 percent or higher in demonstrating proficiency in each of the five subject areas tested, while blacks’ success rate ranged from 48.2 percent on the writing test, to 25.6 percent on the science test.

The reasons for this gap are easy to understand. In Evanston, a large number of overwhelmingly middle- and upper-middle-class white students and predominantly working- and lower-class black students come together at one high school. In all probability, the observed racial gap is symptomatic of the income gap between the two races at ETHS. It is unfortunate that the No Child Left Behind Act does not require an additional breakdown of scores by race and income, since such an analysis indubitably would shed further light on the racial disparity in Evanston.

But although we recognize why the racial gap exists, we see no reason that ETHS — and the local middle schools that feed it students — can’t continue their work to improve minority performance. A middle school in the Fifth Ward will be instrumental in working toward this goal, as it would give teachers an opportunity to focus on poorer students, who may be neglected when mixed with stronger students from wealthier wards.

We also hope ETHS and the surrounding middle and elementary schools, as well as students and their families, work together to make sure the curricula throughout the system prepare students to excel in all areas of academic achievement.

That will put the school one step closer to achieving the racial parity it seeks.