Transcript K-12 Education and the Plight of Black Boys

K-12 Education and the Plight of
Black Boys
Presented by Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt
Senior Policy Analyst
Center for Law and Social Policy
National Legal Aid & Defender Association
Litigators and Advocacy Directors Conference
July 2010
Contact Info:
Website – www.clasp.org
Email - [email protected]
Telephone – (202) 906-8014
Black male students are largely being failed
by the K-12 public education system.
Six Ways the Failure is Demonstrated:
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Special Education
Gifted/Talented Programs
Behavior Policies
Achievement Rates
Graduation Rates
College Readiness Rates
SPECIAL EDUCATION
• Black students are over-represented in
all areas of special education.
Black students are diagnosed later than
white students for legitimate special needs.
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Definitions of “mildly mentally retarded,”
“developmental delay,” and “emotionally
disturbed” are ambiguous, leaving a lot of
room for subjectivity in assessment.
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Many low-income black students enter
school unprepared due to lack of quality
child care, and are categorized as
“developmental delay” as a result.
Black students are more likely to face
traumas in family life that result in
behavioral issues and are categorized as
ED.
Only 10 percent of black boys who enter
special education ever return to the
mainstream classroom setting (Kunjufu,
2005)
25
20
Percent
▫
Black Males in Special
Education
21.99
19.21
15
13.27
10
5
15.25
8.71
0
K-12 Population
Emotionally Disturbed
Developmental Delay
Black Males
Mental Retardation
Specific Learning Disorder
Source: US Dept of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 2006 Data Set
GIFTED/TALENTED PROGRAMS
• Black male students are far less likely
to be placed in gifted/talented
programs.
▫
Black boys are often not allowed
participation, despite grades of test
score that demonstrate competence.
There is a great deal of subjectivity in
selection for participation.
40
34.46
30
Percent
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Gifted/Talented Program
Participation, by Race
30.13
20
10
8.58
▫
There is lack of accommodation for
gender and cultural difference in
learning styles.
0
3.89
Black Males
K-12 Population
White Males
Gifted and Talented
Source: US Dept of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 2004 Data Set
BEHAVIOR POLICIES
• Black boys are more likely to be
suspended and expelled from
school.
▫ Suspension and expulsion leads to
loss of instructional time, causing
black male students to fall behind.
▫ Black male youth surveyed in dropout
recovery programs were more likely
to cite suspension and expulsion as
their reason for dropping out of high
school.
Percent
▫ Zero tolerance policies lead to harsh
penalties for minor infractions.
Suspension and Expulsion,
by Race
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
26.7
23.7
29.128.228.3
17.3
14.0
10.5
8.7
Black Males
K-12 Population
White Males
Suspension
Hispanic
Males
Expulsion
Source: US Dept of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 2006 Data Set
LOW ACHIEVEMENT RATES
Black male students have lower rates of
academic achievement, as measured by
standardized examinations.
▫
Male Students Lacking Basic
Reading and Math Skills,
by Race
Nationally, half of all black male 8th graders lack
basic reading and math skills.
70
60
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Even when socioeconomic status is controlled for,
Black male students still fare worse.
Under ESEA, schools classified as “under
improvement,” “corrective action,” or
“restructuring, ”students must be given the choice
to transfer to a better school within the district or in
a neighboring district. This is not a viable solution
in many high-poverty, high-minority districts.
Under ESEA, persistently failing schools must
provide students with supplemental education
services. Research has shown that implementation
is flawed and that most students do not access these
services.
50
Percent
•
58
54
40
44
30
20
Black students in middle and high school have even
fewer supports because many school districts opt
not to use Title I funds in their middle schools or
high schools.
41
38
29
25
10
19
17
8th Grade
Reading
8th Grade
Math
9
0
4th Grade
Reading
Black Males
▫
52
50
4th Grade
Math
White Males
Hispanic Males
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2008 Data Set
LOW GRADUATION AND COLLEGE
READINESS RATES
High School Graduation Rate of
Black Males in Key Communities,
2005-06 School Year
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Less than half of black male students who
enroll in 9th grade will graduate 4 years
later.
There is a gap between requirements for
high school completion and requirements
for college admission. Only 20% of black
students who graduate from high school are
college ready* (Manhattan Institute of
Policy, 2003)
Philadelphia
46
Oakland
43
New York
32
Los Angeles
41
District of
Columbia
55
Cleveland
34
Chicago
37
Baltimore City
31
Atlanta
34
National
47
0
* “College readiness” is defined as having graduated high
school, possessing basic level literacy skills, and having taken
four years of English, three years of math, and two years each
of natural science, social science, and foreign language.
20
40
Percent
Source: Schott Foundation, 50 State Report Black Male Data Portal,
www.blackboysreport.org
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Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (also known as NCLB)
• The reporting requirements of the 2001 Reauthorization brought to light many of
the disparities we now can quantify.
• Solutions proposed and put in the reauthorized law were not fully funded,
therefore many of the interventions were not fully implemented.
• Regulatory changes made in 2008 standardized the graduation rate calculation,
which allows for even comparison across states and districts. This is not, however,
disaggregated by race.
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds have helped to direct
funds and encourage innovative approaches in struggling schools and districts,
many of which are high-poverty or high-minority.
• The current legislation does not prioritize or provide any significant funding for
dropout prevention or recovery. Students who drop out face significant difficulties
getting back into school or receiving educational services.
• The current legislation does not go far enough to ensure that homeless students,
those in foster care, or those in juvenile detention receive the educational services
they need, or that the systems work together to serve the students’ needs.
Dept of Education
Office of Civil Rights
• Under the current Administration, data collection has been greatly
expanded to include the following, beginning with data collected in 20092010 school year:
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students’ participation in algebra and other college-preparatory subjects
Retention
teacher experience/absenteeism
school counselors
school funding
Harassment
restraint/seclusion
SAT/ACT participation
desegregations plans
access to kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs
additional information related to discipline
• Most of the student data collected will be disaggregated by race, sex, disability, and limited
English proficient status
What Can You Do?
• To Help Individual Parents &
Students
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Assist in navigation of the special education
process to ensure proper assessment,
appropriate placement, regular revisiting of
case, etc.
Assist in advocating for gifted/talented
placement and supports based on the
student’s academic achievements
Assist in having school expulsions
evaluated and overturned
Assist in actually receiving the services that
they are legally entitled to – supplemental
services and school choice
Assist dropouts up to age 21 in getting back
into an appropriate educational setting that
is operated or funded by the school district
Educate parents on the particulars of the
IEP process
• To Make Districts Accountable
to All Parents and Students
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Examine and publicize local district trends
for black male student services and
outcomes to make the case for closing gaps
and reducing disparities
Demand a specific, written set of criteria
and a uniform assessment process for
placement in special education and
gifted/talented programs
Advocate for the revamping of zero
tolerance policies that harm student
achievement and lead to dropout
Push for supplemental education services
to be more accessible to families by
providing service options within their
communities
Ensure that school choice options are made
available for all students in failing schools,
and that parents are aware of the options
Target dropout recovery as a key
component that is missing and should be
added to school and district activities