Sixty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that black children have the right to the same education as their white peers.
But civil rights data released Friday by the Education Department reflect an education system rife with inequities for blacks and other minority students and those with disabilities.
Minority students are less likely to have access to advanced math and science classes and veteran teachers. Black students of any age, even the youngest preschoolers, are more likely to be suspended. And students with disabilities are more likely than other students to be tied down or placed alone in a room as a form of discipline.
"It is clear that the United States has a great distance to go to meet our goal of providing opportunities for every student to succeed," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
But the department offered no explanation of why these disparities exist.
Here are five things to know about the department's findings:
Access to Advanced Classes:
STEM is the buzzword in education these days. Education in the fields of science, technology and engineering and math is considered critical for students to succeed in the global marketplace. Yet the department found that there was a "significant lack of access" to core classes like algebra, geometry, biology, and chemistry for many students. That lack of access was particularly striking when it came to minorities.
![Education in the fields of science, technology and engineering and math (STEM) is considered critical for students to succeed in the global marketplace. Yet the U.S. Department of Education found that there was a "significant lack of access" to core classes like algebra, geometry, biology, and chemistry for many students. That lack of access was particularly striking when it came to minorities.](../../sites/default/files/stories/EducationalDisparities2-madscience.jpg "Education in the fields of science, technology and engineering and math (STEM) is considered critical for students to succeed in the global marketplace. Yet the U.S. Department of Education found that there was a "significant lack of access" to core classes like algebra, geometry, biology, and chemistry for many students. That lack of access was particularly striking when it came to minorities. Photo Credit: madscience.org")
"A quarter of high schools with the highest percentage of black and Latino students do not offer Algebra II; a third of these schools do not offer chemistry," the department said.
And it's not just lack of access to core curriculum subjects.
Only a quarter of black and Latino students were enrolled in an Advanced Placement class, which allows high school students to earn college credit, and fewer than one in five got a high enough score generally necessary to get college credit.
Even as black and Latino students represent 40 percent of the enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented programs, they represent only a quarter of the students in their schools enrolled in them.
Christopher Emdin, a professor of science education at Teachers College, Columbia University, said if a school doesn't offer advanced math and science classes, students are told they are not expected to take those classes.
"There is nothing more severe in contemporary America, particularly as it relates to youth of color, than the soft bigotry of low expectations," Emdin said. "These inequities in the availability of science and math classes show young people that not much is expected of them. It highlights a subtle and severe bias that we will collectively suffer from as our STEM jobs continue to go unfilled, and our young people refuse to be scientists and engineers."
Experienced Teachers
Quality teachers can play a key role in student performance.
Minority students are more likely to attend schools with a higher concentration of first-year teachers than white students. And while most teachers are certified, nearly half a million students nationally attend schools where nearly two-thirds or fewer of teachers meet all state certification and licensing requirements. Black and Latino students are more likely than white students to attend these schools.
There's also a teacher salary gap of more than $5,000 between high schools with the highest and lowest black and Latino students enrollments, according to the data.
Maddie Fennell, a literacy coach at Miller Park Elementary, an urban school in Omaha, Neb., said that too often in teaching, the mindset is that the more experienced a teacher is, the more deserving the teacher is of a less-challenging school environment. She said this doesn't make sense because, in comparison, an experienced surgeon wouldn't be given the healthiest patients. Ultimately, she said, the most qualified teachers will request to follow strong principals.
"A lot of it has to do with the leadership of a (school) building," Fennell said.
Discipline
The Obama administration issued guidance earlier this year encouraging schools to abandon what it described as overly zealous discipline policies that send students to court instead of the principal's office, the so-called "schools-to-prisons pipeline." But even before the announcement, school districts had been adjusting policies that disproportionately affected minority students. The civil rights data released Friday from the 2011-2012 school year show the disparities begin among even the youngest of school kids. Black children represent about 18 percent of children in preschool programs in schools, but they make up almost half of the preschoolers who are suspended more than once. Six percent of the nation's districts with preschools reported suspending at least one preschool child.
Overall, the data show that black students of all ages are suspended and expelled at a rate that's three times higher than that of white children. Even as boys receive more than two-thirds of suspensions, black girls are suspended at higher rates than girls of any other race or most boys. More than half of students involved in school-related arrests or referred to law enforcement were Hispanic or black.
Seclusion and Restraint
"Seclusion and restraint" is a term used to describe when students are strapped down or physically restrained in schools. The data show students with disabilities represent about 12 percent of the student population, but about 60 percent of students placed in seclusion or involuntary confinement and three quarters of students restrained at school. While black students make up about one in five of students with disabilities, more than one-third of the students who are restrained at school are black. Overall, the data show that more than 37,000 students were placed in seclusion, and 4,000 students with disabilities were held in place by a mechanical restraint.
Democrats Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., have unsuccessfully fought for a federal law for years to end the practice. National associations representing school boards and superintendents have said such legislation would reduce the authority of states and districts, but that seclusion and restraint should only be used as a last resort to protect school staff and students.
Preschool
The Obama administration views access to preschool as a civil rights issue. It says 40 percent of school districts do not offer preschool programs. Their numbers don't include private programs or some other types of publicly funded early childhood programs outside of school systems. Obama has sought a "preschool for all" program with the goal of providing universal preschool to America's 4-year-old that would use funding from a hike in tobacco taxes.
Editor's Question: Why Do You Think Such Glaring Disparities Still Exist in 2014? And, What Do You Think Should Be Done About it?
Follow Kimberly Hefling on Twitter.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
Comments
We were talking about the
We were talking about the minorities in class today. About how the children that grow up in specific environments will ultimately effect their everyday life and their future. I think that some of these schools that are adjusting policies and putting minorities at a disadvantage is because it is "expected" that they will not do well. So to keep the budget down they adjust it to those low expectations. That just doesn't seem right. I think the discrepancies we had in the past are still present now because of the notion some students will not do well therefore no one should even try. The experienced teachers should be requesting more challenging classes rather than getting the free ride of easy ones in my opinion, they have more experience in dealing with particular groups and should use it to the students` advantage. As for discipline, I don't think any child should be physically tied up, or be put in seclusion for very long.
I do agree with the preschool portion however, I went to preschool, and think it's a good way to get the younger kids acclimated to the environment and help boost their social skills.
I agree that when people are
I agree that when people are expected to do poorly, they will ultimately not be treated the same way, especially when it comes to getting the same opportunities. If you want someone to do well, sometimes (and this is not always the case) you have to treat them like they can succeed. Then it is up to the student to respond positively.
you're right
I absolutely agree with your statement "I think that some of these schools that are adjusting policies and putting minorities at a disadvantage is because it is "expected" that they will not do well." I don't think that just because they are considered minorities they shouldn't have the opportunities everybody else has, there could truly be some geniuses and they are not being recognized because they are considered minorities.
i totally agree. as a
i totally agree. as a minority and one of a lesser financial status was expected to fail. i didnt, i used it to motivate me. however, i did have friends who let that mind set get to them. they chose that statistical path, they barely got by in school if they werent already failing. some even got pregnant and quit school because they didnt think that they could make anything more of themselves. which is untrue. we need more support for minorities in schools today, and students in general so that they know they can do more; that not only can they meet expectations, but exceed them.
I believe the root of the
I believe the root of the problem is money, on both fronts. Families that do not have much money oftentimes have parents working long hours, and as a result are away from their children for extended periods of time, which may have a negative effect on the child's behavior. On the other hand, the schools not having enough money is a major problem as well. How can we expect schools to improve and rise themselves up without the thing that makes the world go 'round, money?
Right on!
I agree with you about how peoples opinion often reflects the outcome of others. Teachers sometimes select children in their classroom who are doing well and put all of their energy into helping them succeed. However, they can also focus all of their attention on struggling students, leaving those who are doing well or just 'getting by' out in the cold. The system encourages this outlook, because it means that teachers don't need to help a class of 30, they just need to help those 5 who are in really bad shape.
I feel that discipline is important; I stood in the corner as a kid, was spanked, and had 'time-outs'. NEVER was I restrained or left alone for great lengths of time.
Preschool can be great, but I think in that special time of development it is more important for a child to socialize under the guidance of their parent. However, if parents want to use a preschool, that should be an option to them. Generations of people, including many of our own parents, never went to preschool (certainly not at age 4) and I certainly don't see their social skills suffering. This makes me think that maybe it's not a new school program that's the solution, but a more nurturing family and community environment.
Where adolescents live
Where adolescents live greatly affects the rest of their lives. It affects the school they attend and the friends they have. Some of these schools that are in lower income districts include minority students. I don't understand how restraining or secluding a child would help discipline. Although many children benefit from preschool, some children do not. It may boost one's social skills if the child has not been around many children. However, some preschools do not even try to teach the children anything. It is more like a daycare than anything else.
In PS 221, we just talked
In PS 221, we just talked about how expectations are affecting people's lives and how opportunities are a precondition for finding a way out when caught in a circle of low expectations. I think this is reflected in this article because it is not only the schools itself that fail provide equal opportunities. It is the society that stands behind it. Sadly, minorities are still not given the same chances in education and thus, in life. Especially, those in bad areas are often seen as not worth fighting for because they are only going to disappoint. This belief has to change because people won't be given the same opportunities if the society don't even expects them to do well.
I agree that if someone is
I agree that if someone is expected to do poorly, they will not live up to their full potential. All students need to be treated equally and all teachers need to expect the best from each and every student.
I am agreeing with you that
I am agreeing with you that when it comes to this matter all of the students have the right to be treated equally. As all of them derseve to get a good education and to enjoy the school life. and even when in comes to discipline they should be discriplined equally regurdless of their skin colors.
I agree
I agree it is the schools that are failing the minority citizens of America. In our Race and Ethnic Relations class here at UCCS we have been reading and online discussions of how institutional racism is prevalent in American society. So, if a child is brought up around family and friends on a micro level that demonstrate equality and fairness, then goes to school where racism and prejudice is being practiced, there is a high possibility that the child will succumb to the institution’s way of ‘molding perceptions’ on the macro level. I would definitely say there is an urgency to ‘restructure’ America’s social institutions, starting with schools since these are the first institutions children are exposed to and continue to be in daily.
I agree completely with the
I agree completely with the fact that these schools are molding our children, and I would say from a very early age. There is only so much influence at a micro level and then once children go through school, their teachers and peers may have molded them into something completely different. The school system is molding people of color into minorities, and such stereotypes put on them through society, these are being learned in school.
Socioeconomic status plays a
Socioeconomic status plays a big part in the success of an individual. People (and I mean of all races) who are not brought up in a good neighborhood or home will simply not have the same advantages as those growing up in a safe, healthy environment. Their mental, emotional, and, sometimes, physical health is hurt. This affects their ability to succeed.
I agree with you that the
I agree with you that the neighborhood as well as mental and emotional states are important factors that can have a not inconsiderable impact on academic success. Since advantages are not guaranteed equally, it is often hard for those that are disadvantaged to withstand expectations and competition. Their ability to succeed is, from the beginning, hindered to bloom. The way out and to demonstrate that it is possible to leave behind roots, is hard and one has to take a lot of mental and emotional pain.
I agree that the neighborhood
I agree that the neighborhood that someone grows up in can be a huge factor in what opportunities a student has. Their success largely depends on opportunities a school can offer them, and sometimes it isn't much.
Children are the victim
Exactly, and that is why we see many minorities not getting adequate education for their youths. A persons opportunity and success is unfortunately dependent on the environment they are surrounded by, youngsters have no control or say in the matter of where they grow up and where they will go to school. Centralized schools away from less fortunate neighborhoods sounds like a good answer, but to those who don't care about their children education would unlikely care if their child walks 3 blocks from home on the way to school and ends up hanging out in the streets all day. I think fixing peoples mindsets is more important than changing locations of schools or bus routes.
I didn't know.
I didn't know that there was still so much difference between schools when it comes to opportunity to advance classes and experienced teachers. If minorities are not having the opportunity to advanced classes to succeed then no wonder African Americans are still considered the minority. We have been talking about different types of racism in our online class at UCCS and I completely see the issue of institutional racism in this situation. Institutions are preventing minorities from all their potential by not offering advanced classes and good teachers. The way that discipline is being taking care of is another great concern of mine. Expelling or suspending students I don't believe is the way to go. This just allows kids to be out on the streets where they can be more vulnerable to bad influence than in class where they have a better chance to learn and succeed in life. I honestly do not think that preschool should be such a big deal when it comes to studying and learning in life because when I was in preschool it was more of daycare and I did not learn much. It would be great to get people in preschool if you were to actually start learning school material and it wasn't a daycare.
I agree with you, especially
I agree with you, especially about the preschool part. The only thing about preschool that helped me was developing relationships with other children. However, I already attended a daycare so it wasn't very beneficial to me. I learned more at daycare than I did at preschool. If preschools would help children learn new things I would definitely push for it.
Self-fulfilling prophecy
When I read this article, I thought about the theory of self-fulfilling prophecy. These schools do not have high expectations for their students and they prove this by not offering access to higher-level courses and things that will help stuedents succeed. Therefore, the students have little expectations of themselves and do not achieve the high standards of their white classmates. One problem that was not mentioned is that the American school system is based on the taxes that they pay the area they live in. So it would not be surprising that lower income areas would also have lower success rates at school because they would not have the same resources or technology that a high income neighborhood and school would. How can anyone expect the same education when no one is starting from the same place?
If the tax effect is true,
If the tax effect is true, then that explains a lot. Because in low income schools, they really do not have access to technology or highly experienced teachers and therefore they will automatically not do as well as in schools that they do. The stereotypical idea that black and Latino students don't do well certainly play a big part too.
I think if it has been
I think if it has been decided that there should be equal opportunities for the blacks, minorities and whites then that will be okay as everyone deserve the best education regardless of the ethnic group that he or she belongs. As success is the goal of everyone.
I think if it has been
I think if it has been decided that there should be equal opportunities for the blacks, minorities and whites then that will be okay as everyone deserve the best education regardless of the ethnic group that he or she belongs. As success is the goal of everyone.
well i dont get the point
I do not get the point that why black children are the ones who are suspende more than the white ones?? it that meaning that they have lack of discipline or thre might be some sorts of racism over there may be.
I believe that it could be
I believe that it could be both. It is possible that black students are acting up more than other races or that they are being noticed more than the other races, due to racism or unconscious prejudice. Maybe they have learned to be violent and make poor decisions because they have not been taught otherwise. I would hate to think that it was due to racism by school authorities.
It makes me sad that this
It makes me sad that this comes at such a shock to many. Of course the specifics are appalling, but I am not surprised to hear that there is still much discrimination in our country. With the education still so divided it perpetuates the cycle of poverty and discrimination that is still so present in every facet of minorities lives. When students are not given the opportunities they need to succeed, the encouragement they need, or have nothing expected of them, of course we see such a divide in education levels. The fact that this discrimination is so blatant yet many are surprised and nothing is really getting done is incredibly discouraging. The stats of punishment quite blatantly shows racism held by those in power.
The fact that black and
The fact that black and latino students are doing well is simply because at a young age they are taught that not much is expected from them at school. Thats the mere fact that schools separate these students and put them in a category which sounds like " you dont have to do much work. just sit there listen to what we tell you, do your homework or at least half of it and you'll be fine". that kind of mentality is what creates this inferiority complex. Also educators have in their minds that Black and Latino students generally dont do well and so they leave them to sort of their "misery" which should not be the way. Educators need not to categorize students like that but rather give equal opportunities to all students and let them be the judge of their failure or success.
i think that a child or
i think that a child or student will only do as well as they are pushed to do so... sure a person can motivate themselves, but as humans we seek approval. so in turn if these people are expecting the minorities to fail then they probably will. not only that but those that do motivate themselves to do better can only do so much because like it says, statistically minorities are offered less opportunities in schools today. most schools dont see it either. the changes that are made to systems are ones that are required, not ones initiated because they genuinely feel bad or want to change. yes there are good schools who are actually concerned with their students and not just making money, but those are now kind of hard to come by.
I believe that students need
I believe that students need to pushed by their parents and educators in order to reach their full potential. Many students do not have the support they need both in and out of schools in order to succeed.
exactly. and people's lack of
exactly. and people's lack of ability to encourage these kids and offer them opportunities does not do that. they need to be pushed and offered more than they think they can do.
When reading through this
When reading through this article all I could think about was the "self fulfilling prophecy". By already stereotyping people of color as less, incompetent and so on, it's almost as if those aspects are being put into school. Since people of color aren't going to attend college or get good grades or get kicked out of school more often, then that's exactly what's going to happen. I really liked the part of the reading were Fennell stated that more advanced teachers aren't getting the challenge of a more challenging school environment, which is like giving the more experienced surgeon a healthier patient. We need to expand our experienced teachers to every school, that way everyone, even people of color, can get the teachers they need to help grow their education. We need to stop the cycle and give power to the minorities.
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