Report on Black Male Students Illustrates an “Ignored American Tragedy”

Writing in The School Administrator‘s January 2005 issue, Rosa A. Smith, President of The Schott Foundation for Public Education, describes the “unimaginable outcomes” reported in the foundation’s recently released “Public Education and Black Male Students, A State Report Card.” In her article, “Saving Black Boys,” Smith provides a new vision of education for the nation’s black boys and other vulnerable students, based on a commitment by school leaders to what she argues is “a matter of life and death” for these children.

State Results

The State Report Card, compiled by Dr. Michael Holzman, reveals enormous gaps in graduation rates between black and white males by state. According to his analysis, Florida, New York, Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina, five of the seven states educating over 200,000 black males each, all graduated fewer than 42 percent for these students. Texas and California, the two other states educating high numbers of black boys, performed only a little better with graduation rates of 51 and 53 percent, respectively.

The study found that “among the states with larger populations, only New Jersey reports graduating a higher percentage of African-American male students with their cohort than the national average for White male students.” New Jersey graduated 73 percent of its black male students, compared to the nation’s average graduation rate of 71 percent for white male students. But, a large disparity exists here also, as New Jersey graduated 97 percent of its white boys.

Large School-District Results

The study also reported data for each school district educating more than 10,000 black male students, and the outcomes were similarly poor. New York City alone educated over 180,000 black boys in the year examined, 2001-2002, which was about 17 percent of the city’s students that year. Only 24 percent of these students graduated, while 51 percent of the city’s white boys graduated that year.

On a more positive note, the Report Card found “one remarkable group of districts that is successful” with this vulnerable group of America’s children: Baltimore County, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County, all in Maryland. These districts have graduation rates between 66 and 76 percent, and little or no disparity between black and white graduation rates, demonstrating that, the report concludes, “it can be done.”

Creating a Positive Educational Future for Black Male Students

In her article, Smith, who is a former superintendent in Columbus, Ohio, suggests steps district superintendents and other school leaders can take to address “this crisis.” She also explains the foundation’s plans to assist those efforts by raising awareness and supporting policies it believes will improve opportunity, such as preschool “to enable poor children to arrive at kindergarten ready for school success” and “equitable funding of public education to ensure properly resourced schools.”

Prepared by Molly A. Hunter, February 11, 2005