Racial Reconciliation - Education
- Feb 6, 2006 - comment
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the overall high school dropout rate stands at approximately 11 percent. The rate for minority students is somewhat higher. African American students drop out at the rate of 13 percent and Hispanic students drop out at 15 percent. In past years, there has been concern over this problem but that concern has become intensified. For example, in 2001, 66 percent of those surveyed said that the issue was very important while 22 percent said it was somewhat important. But in 2002, the Gallup organization found that 80 percent now say it is very important and 17 percent say it is somewhat important. Fully 97 percent say that high school dropout rates are a matter of concern.
The survey also found that several factors were given by respondents for the dropout rate:
| Factors | Percentageage |
|---|---|
| Home life/environment/upbringing | 37% |
| Economic advantage/disadvantage | 24% |
| Poor community environment | 15% |
| Education not a priority for parents | 14% |
| Lack of parent involvement | 12% |
| Biased/racist attitudes | 10% |
| Student lack of interest | 8% |
Two conclusions were drawn by the study. First, even though disparities do exist between school districts in affluent areas and those in lower-income communities, much of the public is not aware of the problem. And among those who do show awareness, there is the general conception that the problem is outside the control of the schools. Second, policy-makers should be aware that attempts at funding reform might benefit significantly from a public relations effort that demonstrates to those in affluent areas the difference that even slight funding adjustments could make for minority and low-income students.
Bridging the Minority Achievement Gap, October 22, 2002 [Subscription required for access]
“In addition to being more likely than White students to be from low-income families, African American and Hispanic students are more likely to be concentrated in high-poverty schools. As the proportion of African American and Hispanic students increases, so does the proportion of students in the school eligible for school lunch. For example, 6 percent of African American and Hispanic 4th-graders were in the lowest-poverty schools (those with 10 percent or less of the students eligible) in 2003, compared with 29 percent of White 4th-graders. In contrast, 47 percent of African American and 51 percent of Hispanic students were in the highest-poverty schools (those with more than 75 percent of the students eligible), compared with 5 percent of White students. Thus, African American and Hispanic 4th-graders were more likely than White 4th-graders to attend schools with a majority of students from low-income families in 2003.”
Concentration of Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity and Poverty (National Center for Education Statistics-U.S. Department of Education), 2004 [Accessed October 3, 2005]
“The percentages of school-age children living in an English-speaking household varied by region, citizenship, and race/ethnicity in 2003. In the West, children who spoke a language other than English at home made up 31 percent of all school-age children, compared with 19 percent in the Northeast, 16 percent in the Midwest, and 10 percent in the South. School-age children who were not U.S. citizens were more likely than U.S.-born and naturalized citizens to speak a language other than English at home, and naturalized citizens were more likely than U.S.-born children to do so. Five percent of both African American and White school-age children spoke a language other than English at home, compared with 19 percent of American Indian, 65 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander, and 68 percent of Hispanic children. In addition, 1 percent of White and African American school-age children spoke a language other than English at home and had difficulty speaking English, compared with 18 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander and 21 percent of Hispanic children.”
Language Minority School-Age Children (National Center for Education Statistics-U.S. Department of Education), 2005 [Accessed October 3, 2005]
Every year, thousands of potential college-bound students take the SAT I college entrance exam. The results by race/ethnicity are as follows:
| Factors | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Home life/environment/upbringing | 37% |
| Economic advantage/disadvantage | 24% |
| Poor community environment | 15% |
| Education not a priority for parents | 14% |
| Lack of parent involvement | 12% |
| Biased/racist attitudes | 10% |
| Student lack of interest | 8% |
Average SAT I Scores by Race/Ethnicity, 2004 (Infoplease) [Accessed September 30, 2005]
Further Learning
Learn more about: Citizenship, Racial Reconciliation