a snapshot of educational inequity in america · 2019-01-16 · native asian native hawaiian black...

© 2017 THE EDUCATION TRUST

© Copyright 2017 The Education Trust

A Snapshot of

Educational Inequity

in America

The Education Trust promotes high academic achievement for

all students at all levels — pre-kindergarten through college.

Our goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement

that consign far too many young people — especially those

from low-income families or who are Black, Latino, or American

Indian — to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.

A SNAPSHOT OF

AN UNEQUAL AMERICA

AN UNEQUAL AMERICA

5

INSTEAD OF BEING AN EXEMPLAR OF EQUALITY, THE U.S. HAS THE THIRD

HIGHEST INCOME INEQUALITY AMONG INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00Total

income

inequality

Total

income

equality

AN UNEQUAL AMERICA

6

BLACK & HISPANIC FAMILIES EXPERIENCE INEQUALITIES IN WAGES & WEALTH

Median Family Income By Race (2014)

WHITE BLACK LATINO

$43,151 $45,114

$76,658$82,732

Black Hispanic White Asian

AN UNEQUAL AMERICA

7

Median Net Worth of Households (in 2013 dollars)

WHITE BLACK LATINO

BLACK & HISPANIC FAMILIES EXPERIENCE INEQUALITIES IN WAGES & WEALTH

$11,000 $13,700

$141,900

Black Hispanic White

AN UNEQUAL AMERICA

8

DISPARITIES EXIST IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY RACE

WHITE BLACK LATINO

93%

87%

67%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

White Black Latino

Percent of U.S. Adults (25+) with a High School Diploma or Higher by Race (2015)

AN UNEQUAL AMERICA

9

DISPARITIES EXIST IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT BY RACE

Percent of U.S. Adults (25+) with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Race (2015)

WHITE BLACK LATINO

36%

23%

16%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

White Black Latino

THE GOOD NEWS:

AMERICA’S PROGRESS

IN IMPROVING EDUCATION

GOOD NEWS: AMERICA’S PROGRESS

11

STUDENT GROUPS IMPROVE IN FOURTH GRADE MATH

187

224

199

230

219

248

217

228

231

256

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270

1990* 1992* 1996 2000 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Ave

rage

Sca

le S

core

Fourth Grade Performance in Math

African American Latino White American Indian/Alaska Native Asian/Pacific Islander


12

STUDENT GROUPS IMPROVE IN FOURTH GRADE READING

191

206

194

208

223 232

212

206

215

238

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

270

1992* 1994* 1998 2000 2002 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Ave

rage

Sca

le S

core

Fourth Grade Performance in Reading

African American Latino White American Indian/Alaska Native Asian/Pacific Islander


13

THE HIGHEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE IN U.S. HISTORY

64

66

68

70

72

74

76

78

80

82

84

1980-81 1985-86 1990-91 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06 2009-10 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16

72.2

74.373.7

7171.7

73.4

78.2

81

82 8384

Graduation Rates for Selected Years


~20 percent

The decrease in reported out-of-school suspensions

from 2011-2012 to 2013-2014

14

REDUCING THE SCOPE OF EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE

Source: The White House, Executive Office of the President, Report: The Continuing Need to Rethink Discipline. Retrieved from:

https://www.aclupa.org/files/9514/8493/3029/WH_-_Continuing_Need_to_Rethink_Discipline.pdf


27 states

Have revised their laws to reduce the use of exclusionary

discipline

15

REDUCING THE SCOPE OF EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE

Source: Manhattan Institute, School Discipline Reform and Disorder: Evidence from New York City Public Schools, 2012-16: https://www.manhattan-

institute.org/html/school-discipline-reform-and-disorder-evidence-nyc-schools-10103.html


More than one-third of

U.S. adults hold a

bachelor’s degree or

higher. That's more

than six timesthe rate in 1940 when

the U.S. Census began

collecting this

information.

16

MORE AMERICANS ARE EARNING BACHELOR’S DEGREES THAN EVER


17

COLLEGE ENROLLMENT

1 million+

The number of additional

Black and Hispanic

students in college today,

compared to 2008

FURTHER TO GO:

INEQUITIES IN AMERICAN PUBLIC

EDUCATION

FURTHER TO GO

Over the past three decades, between 1979–1980 and

2012–2013, state and local spending on P-12 education

doubled, while state and local spending on corrections

quadrupled.

Seven states—Idaho, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota,

South Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia—increased

their corrections budgets more than five times as fast as they

did their allocations for P-12 public education.

19

WE ARE INCREASING INVESTMENT IN OUR PRISONS FASTER THAN IN OUR

PEOPLE

FURTHER TO GO

Out of every state in the nation, New York spends the most on

its public schools, but there are larges disparities in funding

between affluent schools and those that are disadvantaged.

High-wealth school districts spend, on average, $23,000 per

pupil, while low-wealth school districts spend, on average,

approximately $17,200 per pupil.

20

VAST DISPARITIES EXIST IN SCHOOL FUNDING

FURTHER TO GO

In Washington, D.C.,

a public school with

11 percent low-

income students and

a public school with

99 percent low-

income students are

located just one mile

apart.

21

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE HIGHLY SEGREGATED BY RACE AND CLASS

FURTHER TO GO

In New York City—home to more than 4 million White

residents—a Latina high school student may not encounter a

White classmate until she enrolls in college.

In Pinellas County, Florida—one of the most affluent

communities in the state—high-poverty, racially isolated, and

under-resourced schools are known as “failure factories.”

22

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE HIGHLY SEGREGATED BY RACE AND CLASS

FURTHER TO GO

According to a new report, which compared data across the

nation's 100 largest urban areas, Chicago could benefit from

integration in the following ways:

– $8 billion in economic growth

– 83,000 more residents would have bachelor's degrees

– There would have been 229 fewer homicides in the city last year

23

THE COST OF SEGREGATION

FURTHER TO GO

24

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

6 in 10

4-year-olds in America are

not enrolled in publicly

funded preschool

programs

FURTHER TO GO

26

GREATER SHARES OF BLACK & HISPANIC STUDENTS PERFORM BELOW THE

PROFICIENT LEVEL

35%27%

10%

46%

47%

39%

19%26%

51%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

African American Latino White

Perc

ent

age o

f Stu

dent

s

Fourth Grade Math Performance by Race/Ethnicity (2015)

Proficient/Advanced

Basic

Below Basic

FURTHER TO GO

27

GREATER SHARES OF BLACK & HISPANIC STUDENTS PERFORM BELOW THE

PROFICIENT LEVEL

49% 46%

21%

33%33%

33%

18% 21%

46%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

African American Latino White

Perc

ent

age o

f Stu

dent

s

Fourth Grade Reading Performance by Race/Ethnicity (2015)

Proficient/Advanced

Basic

Below Basic

FURTHER TO GO

28

7875

88 90

72

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Hispanic Black White Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/AlaskaNative

Gra

duation R

ate

(Perc

ent)

Race/Ethnicity

High School Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity (2014-2015)

DISPARITIES IN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES BY RACE

FURTHER TO GO

29

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Boys Girls

Students Receiving Out-of-School Suspensions by Race/Ethnicity & Gender (2011-2012)

American Indian/Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian Black Hispanic Two or More Races White

INEQUITIES IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

13%

3%

7%

20%

9%

11%

6%7%

1%

3%

12%

4%5%

2%

FURTHER TO GO

Suspension and expulsion can influence a number of outcomes

across the health, education, and social-emotional and

character development of young people.

Youth who are expelled or suspended are as much as 10

times more likely to:

– Drop out of high school,

– Experience academic failure and grade retention,

– Hold negative school attitudes, and

– Face incarceration than those who are not.

30

THE IMPACTS OF EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE ARE WIDE RANGING

Source: U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, Policy Statement on Expulsion and Suspension Policies in Early Childhood Settings:

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/policy-statement-ece-expulsions-suspensions.pdf

FURTHER TO GO

31

Black Boys43%

Black Girls10%

White Girls13%

White Boys34%

TRACK THE EYES: WHICH STUDENTS ARE TEACHERS WATCHING?

Black Boys Black Girls White Girls White Boys

INEQUITIES IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE BEGIN EARLY

Source: Yale News, Implicit Bias May Help Explain High Preschool Expulsion Rates for Black Children, http://news.yale.edu/2016/09/27/implicit-bias-may-help-

explain-high-preschool-expulsion-rates-black-children

FURTHER TO GO

In 2009, Black girls without

a disability were 52 percent

of all girls with multiple out-

of-school suspensions.

In the 2011-2012 school

year, Black girls without a

disability were 31 percent

of girls referred to law

enforcement and were 34

percent of girls with school-

based arrests.

32

INEQUITIES IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE FOR BLACK GIRLS

FURTHER TO GO

“Adultification”: A

new Georgetown

University study

finds Black girls

are more likely to

be viewed as

behaving and

seeming older than

their stated age

and to know more

about adult topics

than their White

peers.

33

PERCEPTIONS AND BIASES IMPACT BLACK GIRLS

FURTHER TO GO

A 2014 study

shows that Black

boys often are

wrongly perceived

to be older than

their actual age

and are more likely

to be viewed as

guilty when they

are suspected of a

crime.

34

PERCEPTIONS AND BIASES IMPACT BLACK BOYS

FURTHER TO GO

Every day across the country, over 50,000 young people

under the age of 21 are confined in juvenile justice facilities.

After being released from those facilities:

– More than a quarter of youth reentering public schools drop out

of school within six months;

– Only 15 percent of released ninth-graders graduate from high

school in four years; and

– Almost half of those released return to confinement within three

years.

35

JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH NEED BETTER SUPPORTS

FURTHER TO GO

36

ACCESS TO ADVANCED COURSEWORK

Who Takes Advanced Placement (AP) Classes in America?

14.59.2

4.6

18.8

18.8

16.9

1

0.6

0.5

65.771.4

78

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Graduating Class AP Exam Takers AP Exam Takers Earning a 3 or Higher

Black Latino Native Other (Including White, Asian, and Two or More Races)

FURTHER TO GO

37

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

AmericanIndian/Alaska

Native

Asian Native Hawaiian Black Hispanic Two or MoreRaces

White

Students with Access to the Full Range of Math & Science Courses by Race/Ethnicity (2011-2012)

DISPARITIES IN ACCESS TO RIGOROUS COURSEWORK

47%

81%

68%

57%

67%70% 71%

FURTHER TO GO

39

EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TEACHERS

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Elementary Schools Middle School English Middle School Math

Percentage of the Most Effective Teachers in High- and Low-Poverty Elementary and Middle Schools

Highest-Poverty Schools Lowest-Poverty Schools

FURTHER TO GO

40

EQUITABLE ACCESS TO TEACHERS

16%

22%

11%

0%

25%

Pe

rce

nt

of

Cla

sse

s Ta

ugh

t b

y Te

ach

ers

w

ith

Ne

ith

er

Ce

rtif

icat

ion

no

r M

ajo

r

Nationally, more classes in high-poverty secondary schools are taught by out-of-

field teachers.

National High-

Poverty

Low-

Poverty

FURTHER TO GO

41

TEACHER TURNOVER IMPACTS DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS MOST

22%

13%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Teachers in high poverty schools Teachers in low poverty schools

Percent of Teachers Who Moved Schools or Left the Teaching Profession

FURTHER TO GO

42

WE KNOW EXCELLENT TEACHERS MATTER

1 Year 2 Year

High-Performing

Teacher

Low-Performing

Teacher

Teachers in the top 20 percent of performance generate five to six more

months of student learning each year than do lower-performing teachers.

FURTHER TO GO

44

UNEQUAL DEGREE ATTAINMENT BY INCOME LEVEL

54%

17%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Highest income quartile Lowest income quartile

Perc

ent w

ith

Bach

elo

r’s

Degre

e b

y A

ge 2

4

3 times

FURTHER TO GO

45

UNEQUAL DEGREE ATTAINMENT BY RACE/ETHNICITY

63%

41%

54%

71%

41%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

White Black Latino Asian American Indian

Gra

du

ation

Ra

tes

(%)

Overall rate: 60%

Six-Year Bachelor’s Degree Completion Rates for First-Time, Full-Time Freshmen at

4-year Institutions

THE SCIENCE OF ADVERSITY


Science has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences, or

ACEs, can impact how children learn and their chances of

success in school and in life.

ACEs can include things such as experiencing deep poverty,

being the victim of abuse or neglect, and living with a drug-

addicted or alcoholic family member.

47

WHAT CHILDREN EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL MATTERS

Source: The Science of Adversity, Turnaround for Children, https://www.turnaroundusa.org/video/the-science-of-adversity/


1.6 million students attend a school that has a sworn law enforcement officer but no

school counselor

48

THE RESOURCES WE GIVE TO OUR CHILDREN MATTER

Source: The White House, Executive Office of the President, Report: The Continuing Need to Rethink Discipline. Retrieved from:

https://www.aclupa.org/files/9514/8493/3029/WH_-_Continuing_Need_to_Rethink_Discipline.pdf


Relationships and school

environments characterized

by trust and safety can be

the most powerful

antidotes to the negative

affects of childhood stress.

49

POSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS MATTER

Source: American Institutes for Research, Science of Learning and Development: A Synthesis, January 2017


A report from The

Education Trust shows that

teachers of color can act

as “warm demanders,” in

that they more frequently

hold high expectations for

all students—and

particularly for students of

color—and use

connections with students

to establish positive

classroom cultures.

50

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY AS A PROMISING PRACTICE

EDUCATION MATTERS

EDUCATION MATTERS

52

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

High School Dropouts High School or GED Some College

Risk of Imprisonment by Age 34, Black Men

THE LINK BETWEEN EDUCATION AND INCARCERATION

58.9%

18.4%

30.2%

4.9%

EDUCATION MATTERS

53

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Age 25-34 Age 35-44 Age 45-54 Age 55-64

Less than a highschool diploma

High schooldiploma

Some college,no degree

Associatedegree

Bachelor'sdegree orhigher

7.2

4.1

7.7

3.4

11

.9

7.4

6.6

5.3

3.9

10

.6

6.3

6.5

5.9

4.5

9.6

6

12

.1

11

.2

8.7

15

.4

Unemployment Rates, by Age and Education Level, 2012

EDUCATION MATTERS

54

HIGHER EDUCATION PAYS

$92,525

$65,482

$35,615

$10,000 $30,000 $50,000 $70,000 $90,000 $110,000

Advanced Degree

Bachelor's Degree

High School Diploma

Median Earnings Full-Time Year-Round Workers Ages 25 & Older, by Education Level (2016)

College- and career-ready standards and implementation

Preschool access and quality

Accountability systems and interventions

The elevation of the teaching profession and school

leadership: preparation, support, career ladders

School finance litigation/reform

School diversity initiatives

School discipline reform

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)…

56

EXAMPLES OF THE P-12 POLICY LANDSCAPE

THE EVERY STUDENT

SUCCEEDS ACT (ESSA)

“[ESSA] upholds the core value that animated the

original Elementary and Secondary Education Act

signed by President Lyndon Johnson—the value that

says education, the key to economic opportunity, is a

civil right. With this bill, we reaffirm that fundamental

American ideal that every child—regardless of race,

income, background, the zip code where they live—

deserves the chance to make out of their lives what

they will.”

~ President Barack Obama,

on the signing of the Every Student

Succeeds Act, December 10, 2015

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

– Title I resources for highest-needs schools

No Child Left Behind reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act in 2002

– Set the important expectation that schools must be making progress with all

groups of students, not just some

– But over time, parts of the law became outdated and unworkable

Obama Administration Waivers (2011)

– Over 40 states received waivers

– States committed to college- and career-ready standards, new systems of

teacher evaluation and support, and interventions in struggling schools

Every Student Succeeds Act (2015)

59

A CIVIL RIGHTS LAW

THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT

State-determined college- and career-ready standards must be aligned

to:

– Entrance requirements for credit-bearing courses in the state’s system

of public higher education; and

– Relevant career and technical education standards

Annual statewide assessments in reading and math in 3rd - 8th grade

and once in high school; science assessments once each in elementary,

middle, and high school

ESSA requires data transparency and public reporting of that data,

which is important for equity because:

– Without transparency and public reporting, outcomes for groups of

students can be hidden behind averages; and

– Data equip parents and members of the public to be informed

partners in children’s education

60

ESSA IS A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR EQUITY


Key questions for defining state standards:

– How will states demonstrate that their standards are aligned to

entry requirements for higher education?

– Whose entry requirements for credit-bearing coursework will a state

align standards to (Community colleges? Four-year institutions?)?

Key questions for developing assessments:

– Is your statewide assessment truly aligned with standards? How do

you know?

– Will you develop Native Language Assessments in addition to your

state’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment?

– Will the state take advantage of ESSA grants to audit and clear out

unnecessary, unaligned, low-quality tests?

61



Accountability, data transparency, and public reporting

matter for equity.

A well-designed accountability system:

– Sets a clear expectation that schools must raise the achievement

of all their students, not just some;

– Focuses attention and resources on the full range of student

groups, including those who are sometimes ignored; and

– Prompts action when schools don’t meet expectations for any

group of students.

62



Accountability is not about sorting and punishing. It’s about making sure

that schools and systems are responsible for the performance of all

students, and taking action when any group falls behind.

Key state plan accountability questions:

– What is the role of growth vs. proficiency?

– Beyond tests and graduation rates, what measures will add to the

picture of school performance, as opposed to masking outcomes?

– How does the state communicate how all groups of students are

doing on the measures?

– What is a rigorous definition of “consistently underperforming” for

groups of students?

– What are appropriate supports and interventions for the lowest

performers or schools with underperforming groups?

63



64


71

86

70

3032 33

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

All students White students Hispanicstudents

Black students Low-incomestudents

Students withdisabilities

Math Proficiency Rates - Example Elementary School

And accountability is about making sure we don’t say this school is doing just fine…


What does ESSA require regarding data transparency and

public reporting?

– State and local report cards that include the following:

Disaggregated results for all accountability measures

Disaggregated data on participation rates in assessments

Disaggregated data on rates of exclusionary discipline and access to

advanced coursework

Professional qualifications of educators and “effectiveness,”

comparing high-income to low-income schools

Actual per-pupil expenditures, disaggregated by funding source at

the state, district, and school levels

If available, rate at which high school cohorts matriculate to higher

education (disaggregated by subgroup)

65



Key questions for data transparency and public reporting:

– Will states define these data indicators in a way that is

meaningful and consistent across schools and districts?

– How can states present all of these data in a way that is

useful to parents and community leaders? (Should there

be a summative rating – and if so, how many rating

“levels” will the state include?)

– What kinds of tools, training, or accompanying materials

would help parents and advocates use this information to

fight for stronger opportunities to learn for all children?

66



Educator Equity

– States and districts must ensure that low-income students and students of color

are not taught at disproportionate rates by ineffective, out-of-field, or

inexperienced teachers

– For FY 17, there is $2 billion for Title II, which supports teacher development

and can be used to advance equitable access

FY 17 Funding

– For Title I: $15.5 billion, targeted to the schools and districts serving the largest

concentrations of low-income students

– 7 percent of each state’s Title I allocation must be used for school improvement

activities

67



Key questions for addressing teacher equity:

– What specific steps will states and districts take to ensure that low-income

students and students of color have equitable access to strong, well-supported

teachers?

– Will the state’s plan address:

Preparation & Certification?

Professional Development & Support?

Feedback & Evaluation Systems?

Incentives (e.g., compensation, loan forgiveness, career ladders)?

Educator diversity?

Key questions for resource equity under ESSA:

– How will states and districts ensure that federal funds truly provide extras for

high-poverty schools—as opposed to making up for inequitable state and local

funding?

– How will states and districts ensure that school improvement funds are used on

evidence-based strategies?

68


A FEW KEY POLICY DILEMMAS

1. Local vs. state vs. federal roles

2. Is the goal equality or equity?

3. What is the school improvement theory of change?

4. Is the critical lever equitable resources, or integration, or

something else entirely?

5. To what extent does policy change drive changes in

students’ classroom experiences?

6. Identity and policy intersectionality

69

FOR STATES AND THE NATION

WHAT CAN WE DO?

1. An expansion of high-quality early care and education to

serve all children

2. Equitable implementation of high standards for college

and career readiness

3. Opportunities for all students to learn and succeed

4. A focus on college access, affordability, and completion…

and workforce success

70

KEY AREAS FOR ACTION

“Whatever affects one directly,

affects all indirectly. I can never

be what I ought to be until you

are what you ought to be. This is

the interrelated structure of

reality.”

~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

a snapshot of educational inequity in america · 2019-01-16 · native asian native hawaiian black...

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