Originally published in the Plain Dealer (Cleveland) on November 28, 2004
Copyright 2004 Plain Dealer Publishing Co. Achievement gap, special ed linked
By: Chris Sheridan
Buried within a new report on black male graduation rates is a key explanation of the phenomenon.
The
Schott Foundation for Public Education, led by former Columbus
Superintendent Rosa Smith, has issued a state-by-state report card
regarding the percentage of black males who earn high school diplomas.
Ohio's statewide graduation rate for black males is 36 percent, less
than half the 73 percent rate posted by white males. In the way Schott
calculates its "inequity index," the Buckeye state is tied with Montana
for the seventh-worst ranking in the country.
Never
fear, Ohio does lead decisively in another category. Two of the state's
largest districts are tied for the nation's lowest graduation rate for
black males. In both Cleveland and Cincinnati, the figure is 19 percent.
Within
the report's dozens of charts and tables, however, are more specific
and illustrative data. On the Ohio page, for example, the foundation
considers Cleveland's record for disciplinary action and special
education placements. In the former, black male students account for 36
percent of school enrollment, but 67 percent of expulsions. In the
latter, black males account for 46 percent of students identified as
mentally retarded, 64 percent of those labeled mentally disturbed, and
46 percent of those diagnosed with a specific learning disability.
The
data will not surprise anyone who has followed the issue of
overrepresentation of minority students in special education in recent
years. The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, for example,
notes that black students total 17 percent of total enrollment
nationwide, but 33 percent of those labeled mentally retarded.
And a presidential commission on special education finds that of all
students, those with disabilities drop out at twice the rate of their
peers.
In
other words, children in special education are more likely to drop out,
and black males are far more likely to be in special education. No
wonder their graduation rates so badly trail their peers.
Before reactionaries cry racism,
keep in mind that a few objective factors play a part in this pattern.
More than 11 percent of black children are found to have elevated lead
levels in their blood, according to a 2002 report by the National
Research Council, as compared to just 1 percent for white youths. In
addition, the rate of low-birth-weight black infants is more than twice
that of white children.
That's the bad
news. The good news is that research shows that intensive, intelligent
interventions can make a huge difference in students' achievement. Last
week's column already covered the stirring impact of strong preschool
programs, and there are more benefits to be had in early elementary
grades. A study from Johns Hopkins University, for example, found that
its program cut special education placements by half. Other studies
have indicated that up to 40 percent of those receiving special
education services are there simply because they haven't learned to
read -- and, it's safe to say, a hefty portion of them simply haven't
had effective instruction.
So, what's to be done in Ohio and elsewhere? The massive special education reauthorization Congress passed this month
includes
provisions aimed directly at this problem. It requires districts with
"significant overidentification" of minority students to launch early
intervention programs, identify learning issues early and increase use
of "positive behavioral interventions."
Translation
for that last point: Students in early-grade classes that are poorly
managed tend to struggle with behavior problems later on. And, it
seems, oftentimes a student with behavior problems is not truly
disabled, but rather in need of other kinds of assistance.
Will
these requirements actually change disparities that have existed for
decades? Don't bet on it. One federal report issued during the
reauthorization process found that every state in the nation was out of
compliance in some way (or many ways) with federal law. Another, issued
this fall, found compliance issues in all but one of the states
examined -- with more than half of the problems involving direct
services to kids (the others involved procedural issues). Worse, the
report found, most of those problems remained unresolved for two to
seven years after identification.
What do
these findings mean? Ohio -- and Cleveland -- cannot wait for the feds to
fix special education for minority students. If change is to happen, it
must start locally. State Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman and
Cleveland schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett both must explain their
numbers, and outline the steps they'll take to change them.
These trends have continued too long. It's time for education leaders to change their direction.