How the US Public K-12th Grade Public Education System is Failing Minority Youth
Although the American public education system is often praised for its system of inclusiveness and equal opportunity, it somehow fails to meet the needs of minority students. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in November 2023 found that approximately 51% of American citizens believe the public K–12 educational system is generally headed in the wrong direction. This opinion is based on structural failures, insufficient funding, and prejudices that have deprived numerous people of their rights.
Therefore, in this post, we'll discuss the key factors behind this failure, supported by some data and facts.
Disproportionate Funding
Every educational institute depends on funding to work properly. It is common for schools in mostly minority neighborhoods to get less financing than those in more affluent, predominantly white areas. Schools that have 90 percent or more students of color spend $733 less annually per student than those that have 90 percent or more white students.
The result of this inequality is failing infrastructure, traditional textbooks, and larger class sizes. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that the budget gap between districts with high and low levels of poverty can be more than $1,000 per student each year.
Implicit bias
Implicit bias in schools has been directly associated with harsher disciplinary measures, lower expectations for teachers, and overly critical grading practices for children of color. It has also been indirectly associated with greater dropout rates, confinement in the future, and poorer outcomes for further education.
According to Johns Hopkins University research compared to their colleagues, white teachers were 40% less likely to expect black students to complete high school.
Curriculum Gaps
It is also seen that minority students' diverse backgrounds are not well represented in the curriculum. Minority students may feel excluded when literature classes focus mostly on white authors or when history lessons emphasize only European movements. Their engagement and self-esteem can suffer as a result of this underrepresentation.
Disciplinary actions
Do you know that minority students are subject to more severe disciplinary measures than their white peers? According to data from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, Black kids are almost twice as likely as white students to be suspended without receiving educational services. Black students are also 3.8 times more likely than white students to be suspended from school at least once.
Academically, this disparity causes students to fall behind and lose important class time. A cycle of disadvantage is also maintained as it raises the risk that these pupils may interact with the juvenile justice system.
Language Barriers
A large number of Asian students speak English as a second language. ESL (English as a Second Language) programs in schools usually fail to help these kids. Students often find it difficult to stay up with their academics without fair linguistic support, which may result in greater dropout rates. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that the graduation rate for English language learners is around 20% lower than that of their classmates who speak the language.
Mental Health Support
Mental health is another crucial area where schools fail minority youth. Due to prejudice and socioeconomic reasons, minority students are more prone to suffer from stress and trauma. However, schools often don't introduce enough mental health resources to deal with these problems. The American School Counselor Association reports that the typical student-to-counselor ratio is 482 to 1, which is far higher than the suggested ratio of 250 to 1.
Pathway to Success
We need to handle these problems from several angles. Some of them are as follow:
• Reforms for equitable funding.
• The provision of professional development opportunities is crucial for schools to raise teacher’s awareness of implicit bias and the various ways it may affect children.
• The use of inclusive curriculum
• Proper methods for discipline
• Strong programs for teaching English as a second language
• More assistance is needed for better mental health
• Training for teachers in cultural competency
Conclusion
Although there are many challenges to overcome, there is still hope for improvement. By drawing attention to these problems and holding people accountable, we can strive toward a time where every child, regardless of color or background, has the chance to thrive.
For the help of the young people of our country, this discussion must continue and action must be taken. Please check out and browse our NexGnzSTEM website to see what tools are available to assist in closing these gaps and benefit minority students. Let's make sure that every youngster has the resources and tools needed for their success.
Resources:
Pew Research Center:
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report:
https://www.usccr.gov/files/pubs/2018/2018-01-10-Education-Inequity.pdf
Education Inequality: K-12 Disparity Facts UNCF
Johns Hopkins University Study:
https://education.jhu.edu/edpolicy/
OCR Data Report:
https://ocrdata.ed.gov/ogyt/2#student-experiencing-ostracism
National Center for Education Statistics:
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_coi.asp