REPORT: Learning Gaps for Black Students Start in 2nd Grade
According to a recent report focused on education in Los Angeles, Black students display significant learning gaps by the 2nd grade, and they only grow larger with age.
Black students are less likely to take college preparatory courses necessary to attend a state university, and miss more school days due to suspensions.
If these trends persist, only 1 in 20 black kindergartners will go on to graduate from a 4-year university.
“What we have in this state for African American students is a school-to-prison pipeline, where they are more likely to go to prison than college,” said Arun Ramanathan, the group’s executive director. “We need to forcibly intervene as a California community to prevent this from continuing.
“Whatever adjective is worse than bad, this is it,” Gilliam said about the plight of black students. “We’re concluding, either explicitly or implicitly, that these are throwaway kids.”
Experts have discussed a variety of solutions, including early childhood support, smaller class sizes, courses that connect to careers, better college prep, and more efficient disciplinary policies.
Thoughts on the results of this study?
What do you think it will take to close learning gaps for students of color?
Sound off below!