Social Justice Blog: Education, Disparities, and the Achievement Gap

The articles Professor G sent us, the lecture in the Utopia Theater, and my experience interviewing teachers at Reagan High School have taught me a great deal about the "achievement gap" in the past two weeks. It is common knowledge that minority students are more likely to face hurdles in achieving academic success than their White counterparts. These hurdles come as a result of economic hardships and social barriers. The media and society as a whole focus more on the fact that these problems exist than on means for creating positive change for these students. I personally believe we need to focus more on the "how" instead of the "what" in order to make a difference.

I found the article discussing why black students are lagging to be very interesting and informative. Mr. Ogbu's research delves into the source behind the achievement gap and it provides clear reasons for the situation. I've definitely noticed in my experience that many minority students are afraid to be percieved as "acting white." The middle school I attended was a Humanities Magnet Program located in downtown Austin. There was a wide range of students from all across the city, including a fair share of Blacks and Hispanics. I remember there were times where myself and some of my Black and Hispanic friends were chastised by others for "talking white." I remember coming home crying one day telling my mom that a black girl told me that I was basically white because I "act white."

The girl's comment infuriated me because I have always been one who is proud of my ethnic roots. I couldn't understand why this girl more or less referred to me as a sell-out. My mom responded by telling me that if someone associates speaking gramatically correct English and having good manners as "white" qualities, it really goes to show their own sense of inferiority. To this day, I couldn't agree more. It frustrates me when I hear people associate intelligence and refined behavior with being "white," because it is almost as if they think that only White people are capable of these attributes. I honestly think that this mentality plays a signifcant role for many minorities. I remember there being many intelligent Black and Hispanic students at my middle school who stopped caring about school after they were accused by their peers for "trying to be white." How can we, as a society, change these perceptions that many minority students have? How can we let them know that they are capable as any White student of achieving academic success?

This ties into the lecture we attended on Wednesday pertaining to the achievement gap. I agree, like the others, that it wasn't exactly what I expected. While Mr.Edleman is a great speaker and the subject is something I'm very passionate about, I don't think the presentation as a whole did justice to the complexity of this issue. As I stated in class, it would have been beneficial to hear the panel's opinion on the role of peers. Psychological studies demonstrate that the peer group plays an important role during adolescence. I'm interested in solutions that assess the importance of peer validation. The reason why many minority students face greater hurdles isn't a lack of intelligence; it is a lack of social support. The achievement gap exists in part because students of color that excel academically are often ridiculed by community members for "trying to act white." The first step to solving this problem is to address ways to promote community involvement and support.

The teachers I interviewed at Reagan High School for my social justice project addressed the importance of support and encouragement for minority students. When I asked them what hurdles came in the way of Reagan's students, they listed a couple of issues including economic hardships,teenage pregnancy, and neighborhood crime. I admire all three of the teachers I interviewed for their passion and commitment to the well-being of their students. They attributed the root of these problems to a cycle of poverty which feeds off itself. The health sciences teacher put a special emphasis on the prevalence of teen pregnancies at the school. She stated that the school has a daycare and a pregnancy rate of 30%. She also noted that pregnancy at an early age is considered socially acceptable for many teens at Reagan.

I personally feel this high frequency of pregnancy demonstrates the lack of expectations these girls have for themselves. The world history teacher stated that he believes this apathy comes from the girls being told that their sole purpose is to procreate. If society expects certain things from you, it is very difficult to go against the norm. As far as the male students go, there is a strong level of gang influence, he said. He emphasized that a sense of belonging is key at this age, and the decision to focus on academics isn't a well-respected one. A lack of adequate family and community support drives many of these students to make decisions without clearly assessing the consequences.

After hearing all of this information and reflecting on the class readings and lectures, I feel even more inspired to help the situation. I feel even more passionate about empowering minority students that doubt themselves. I know that Mr. Edleman suggested mentoring and tutoring, both which are great, but I want to do something that can create a larger dent. Since the health sciences teacher at Reagan emphasized a need for positive role models, I want to do what I can to help. I believe that large-scale peer empowerment programs would be beneficial. If students participate together in such a program, they will be more likely to absorb the messages. Marianne Williamson's quote "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate--it's that we are powerful beyond measure," couldn't be more true. The achievement gap is reflective of a lack of faith many minority students have in themselves, and I want to do what I can to change this. As social workers, we have the potential to collectively make a difference. If we put our heart and soul into this cause, we can significantly reduce the incidence of this disparity.