Race, Ethnicity, Class and Opportunity: A critical analysis of the “gap” by youth

researchers

March 27, 2003

Bank Street Collegecontact: mfine@gc.cuny.edu

Adult Researchers:

Michelle Fine, Jennifer Ayala, Janice Bloom, April Burns, Lori Chajet, Monique Guishard, Yasser Payne, Tiffany Perkins-Munn, Rosemarie A. Roberts, Kersha Smith, Maria Elena Torre

Youth Presenters and Researchers: Esther Akutekha, Amir Billops, Emily Genao, Melanie Harris, Seekqumarie Kellman

Organizational Affiliations:

The Graduate Center, CUNY, Saint Peter’s College, Columbia High School, and East Side Community High School

Funders:

Edwin Gould Foundation, Leslie Glass Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Spencer Foundation

Design: Methods

Survey: N = 3799 9th and 12th graders from 15 urban and suburban schools (plus five alternative schools in the suburbs), representing 13 school districts.

Schools: Bedford, Cherry Hill, East Side Community School (Lower East Side, NYC), El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice (Brooklyn), Mamaroneck, Maplewood/South Orange, Montclair, New Rochelle, Paterson, Ramapo, South Brunswick, Spring Valley, Summit, Vanguard High School (Manhattan, NYC), White Plains

Focus Groups: N = 19 groups with academic “high”, middle and low achievers

Design: Methods

• Individual Interviews: N = 15 high achievers, seniors, post graduates

• Graduate Follow-up: N= 50 fall and spring of first year out of high school

• Youth Research Camps: March: 36 participants

August: 24 participants Spring 2003 estimated 25 participants

• Transcript Analysis: N = approx. 1,000 (4 urban and 3 suburban schools by race/ethnicity)

• St. Peter’s College Credit

Aspirations: Almost everyone plans to go to college

76%

78%

80%

82%

84%

86%

88%

90%

92%

94%

AsianAmerican

White AfricanAmerican

AfroCaribbean

Latino

Plans to pursue a professional degree: African American and Latina young women particularly committed to advanced degrees

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

W/A male AA/L male W/A female AA/L female

Civic commitments by gender, race, and ethnicity

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

helping those lessfortunate

changing how thecountry is run

helping to improve mycommunity

W/A male AA/L male W/A female AA/L female

Differential access to academic rigor: % in AP/Honors courses

58% 56%

33%37%

27%

AsianAmerican

White AfricanAmerican

AfroCaribbean

Latino

% in AP/Honors courses

Even with college educated parents: AP/Honors by race/ethnicity

and parents’ education

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

White

Asian-AmericanAfrican American

Afro-Caribbean

Latino

Column 1

College EducatedParents

High School DropoutParents

Differential participation in PSAT/SAT prep: Seniors

73%

57% 57%

39%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

hi track w/a hi track aa/l lo track w/a lo track aa/l

Let me run down some facts and stats so

You can let them react in the back of

Your minds

About $9,000 is spent on us so we can get a

“Sound, basic education”

For every 9 grand here, some kid in the suburbs

Gets 15 or 16

In our schools, there’s an average of

4.9 computers

In the suburbs, the number hovers around

21.7

How are we supposed to get that education if

We don’t even get the same resources

This forces us to make tough choices on where

Let me run down some facts and stats so

You can let them react in the back of

Your minds

About $9,000 is spent on us so we can get a

“Sound, basic education”

For every 9 grand here, some kid in the suburbs

Gets 15 or 16

In our schools, there’s an average of

4.9 computers

In the suburbs, the number hovers around

21.7

How are we supposed to get that education if

We don’t even get the same resources

This forces us to make tough choices on where

What do they see when they see you or me

You know who I’m talkin’ about

Those cats in the designer slacks

Sittin’ on fat stacks of cash

That they stash in bottomless pockets

The State of NY us holdin’ out on the

Schools in the city of the same name

It’s a shame that our claims to fame are

Inadequate resources and being pawns in this

Political game - of chess

While those kids in their houses and green grass

Get in their expensive cars so they could name drop

On what celebrity went to their school when and why

We are jumpin’ on buses, trains, or just plain walkin’ to school,

Our money goes

And then they blame us because we can’t pass the

Regents

That’s why we gotta stick together

‘Cause the only people that’s are gonna look after us

Is us

Hatin’ on ourselves and each other sends the message

That we aren’t worth it

Spending money on us doesn’t matter

But we have to prove to those fat cats

Sittin’ on them stacks of cash that

Every teen, no matter in Westchester or Avenue D

Deserves a shot at the all-American dream

 — Emily Genao , East Side Community High School

Everyone believes in school wide integration…

but African American and Latino students are more concerned about the opportunity gap within

schools

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Integrationis Important

AchievementGap

School is notas mixed asit should be

WhiteAsian AmericanAfrican AmericanLatino

High track students of colorreport the least integration

% who agree with statement:“My School is Well Integrated”

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

hi track w/a hi track aa/l lo track w/a lo track aa/l

School Suspension Differentials: % of Students by Race, Ethnicity and Gender

Who Have Been Suspended

11

21

4

15

0

5

10

15

20

25

Have youever been

suspended?

W/A male AA/L male W/A female AA/L female

Educational Justice: Relative importance by gender and

race/ethnicity (% strongly agree and agree)

0102030405060708090

Attending a "mixed" school

is important to me

Equal opportunities in my

school

My classes are not as

"mixed" as they should be

Teachers believe all

students can achieve highlevels

W/A male AA/L male W/A female AA/L female

Views of educational justice: Differences by race, ethnicity, and track

(% who strongly agree and agree)

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Students are treated fairly byrace/ethnicity/poverty

Positive Influence ofEducators

My culture is respected

hi track W/A hi track AA/L lo track W/A lo track AA/L

Describe what you imagine “the best possible school experience” to be for yourself:

[19] No one beats you up. Everyone is nice to you. Friends care about you.

[22] The best would be to have the teachers who really care about these students, who really work hard at helping everyone learn and who motivate you to work hard.

[2482] There are people that want to learn and no blacks.

[1837] Where the color of your skin does not interfere with you getting in an honors or AP class. The teachers treat minorities in honors classes as capable student who work hard rather than they just being placed to integrate the classes.

[1325] Not hearing faggot used in everyday speech.

[806] No kids disrespecting my race, the boys are more respectful, teachers don’t make seem like they want you to fail, therefore they put more effort into teaching.

[2433] A school where you can be yourself, express your opinions and be comfortable walking around.

[2602] A challenge everyday and a lesson that constantly expands my knowledge.

Post-Brown: When aspirations meet policies, politics, and practices, we see …

* finance inequities K - 12* uneven distribution of qualified educators

* differential access to rigor within high school curricula

* high stakes testing* increases in college tuition and cuts in

financial aid offerings

Reframing The Gap

Accountability for Educational Justice: Rigor and Responsibility for All Students

  A System of Educational Accountability needs to analyze across and within school level data by race, ethnicity and social class in regard to:

1. The gap in school finance (across districts, and salaries of faculties/class size across school levels).

2. The gap in access to credentialed educators.3. The gap in access to rich curricular materials.4. The gap in access to library, computers, and advanced science

equipment.

5. The gap in students' access to teachers and principals who participate in regularly scheduled, on-going professional development that ensures they have access to current and effective practice in the areas in which they teach; students' access to teachers who know them well.

Reframing The Gap (cont’d.)

6. The gap in the proportion of students who enjoy access to rigorous curriculum that is culturally relevant

7. The gap in student and educator perceptions of engagement, being known, and willingness to ask for help

8. The gap in the amount of writing in key courses – for depth, based on student inquiry, over time, with revisions

Privatized Supports that might be made publicly available:

9. Differential access to private tutoring, SAT prep, OT/PT, no timing on tests, ability to pursue unpaid internships or summer enrichment activities

10. Exposure and support for anticipating and planning for college – visits, assistance with applications, counseling, help with essays, financial aid forms, etc.

11. Family connections/pressure for access to high level courses, internships, clubs, college, summer opportunities

Reframing The Gap (cont’d.)

Outcomes:

12. Persistence/dropout/cohort survival graduation rates13. School based respect for culture, belonging, speaking one’s positions, alienation 14. Community civic engagement (service, voting, belief in affecting change)15. Participation in extra-curricular opportunities (school trips, drama, art, clubs, band,

sports, student government)16. Award distribution within the school 17. Portfolios of student work for public review18. Race/ethnically stratified senior interviews (focus groups)19. Race/ethnically stratified graduate follow up (in Fall and Spring of following year) for

college, work, military, prison, other 20. Stratified random samples for standardized testing (stakes for schools, not students)