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ERIC Number: ED454323
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2000-Mar
Pages: 38
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Facing the Consequences: An Examination of Racial Discrimination in U.S. Public Schools.
Gordon, Rebecca; Piana, Libero Della; Keleher, Terry
In 1999, community organizations in several U.S. cities studied their local school districts to determine how they measured up in terms of racial justice. Using the computerized Racial Justice Report Card, they gathered data from 12 school districts. Only one district (Boston, Massachusetts) received a passing grade, and it was only a D. Results found glaring inequalities and discrimination in the public schools. African American students especially, along with Latino and Native American students, were suspended or expelled in disproportionate numbers. Students of color were more likely to drop out or be pushed out of school and less likely to graduate than were white students. They also had less access to advanced classes or programs for gifted students. The racial makeup of the teaching corps rarely matched that of the student body. This report recommends that all school districts be required to keep and publish annual key statistics on racial equity; schools must act immediately to correct uneven application of the most severe disciplinary actions; and schools must end academic tracking and open the way for all students to participate in a challenging curriculum. Appendixes contain results of the racial justice report cards for individual school districts and the text of California Senate Bill 81, which mandates collection and publication of key data for the state's public schools. (Contains 18 references.) (SM)
ERASE Initiative, Applied Research Center, 3781 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611. Tel: 510-653-3415; Web site: http://www.arc.org.
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Ford Foundation, New York, NY.; Mott (C.S.) Foundation, Flint, MI.; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago, IL.
Authoring Institution: Applied Research Center, Oakland, CA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A