Mind the Gap: Why are Good Schools Failing Black Students?

Reporter Nancy Solomon spent last year as a Spencer Fellow in Education Reporting to examine why good suburban schools are failing black students. Click here to access Solomon's hourlong radio documentary on the topic.

NPR: Racial Achievement Gap Still Plagues Schools

Listen to the story or read the print version (7:20). Originally aired October 31, 2009.

NPR: Schools Find Achievement Gap Tough to Close

Listen to the story, or read the print version (30:17). Originally aired November 23, 2010.

Campaign for High School Equity

The Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE) advocates for high schools to prepare every student for graduation, college, work, and life. Their policy priorities include:

• Equitable learning conditions
• Common core state standards
• Community investment in student success, and
• Expanded learning opportunities

The Black Boys Report

Yes We Can: The Schott 50 State Report on Black Males in Education was published by the Schott Foundation for Public Education.

One of their most significant findings: "The American educational system is systemically failing Black males. Out of the 48 states reporting, Black males are the least likely to graduate from high school in 33 states, Black and Latino males are tied for the least likely in four states, with Latino males being the least likely in an additional four states. To add insult to injury, Black Male students are punished more severely for similar infractions than their White peers. They are not given the same opportunities to participate in classes with enriched educational offerings. They are more frequently inappropriately removed from the general education classroom due to misclassifications by the Special Education policies and practices of schools and districts. By Grade 8, relatively few are proficient in reading and, finally, as a consequence of these deficiencies in educational practice, less than half graduate with their cohort."

The Council of the Great City Schools Report

"A Call for Change: The Social and Educational Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools" is the report published by the Council of the Great City Schools. The CGCS is a coalition of 65 of the nation's largest urban school systems, including Seattle.

"This report will not make many people feel good, even though it contains evidence that black males attending schools in urban areas have made more progress than those living elsewhere. In fact, this report is likely to make people angry, and it should. We hope that this is a louder and more jolting wake-up call to the nation than this country is used to hearing. The fact that previous calls have fallen on so many deaf ears is not encouraging, but we are convinced that we must ring the alarms one more time and play a larger role in setting this situation right." --Michael Casserly, Executive Director

NAACP Fact Sheet: African-Americans and Education

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) published this fact sheet: African-Americans and Education. It paints a stark picture of the African-American educational experience.