The Mind Gap

Non-white students have always had a harder time finding good education--and because of that, they also struggle to get into academically rigorous colleges and to find higher-paying jobs.

While the U.S. seems to be trying to close this frightening gap through school voucher programs, charter schools and even programs like Teach for America, the other side of the card boasts programs like the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) courses—which are generally offered in better high schools to a disproportionate number of white students. Some universities accept AP courses as credits or placement tests for math, English, science and language classes. Students who have the opportunity to take AP tests are better prepared for the college experience, having studied the subject matter during their high school years—let alone getting credit for college courses and starting out ahead of their peers, perhaps having time to tack on another major or certificate to propel them to even greater heights.

The New York Times published an article this morning concerning just this issue: find it here

Comforting is the fact that even few white students pass the AP exams; troubling is the fact that such a dramatic discrepancy exists in the overall percentage of students who pass the exams and the percentage of African American students who pass the exams (“over 15 percent” versus “3.3 percent”).

There are many possible explanations; black students happen to attend schools that do not have the resources to conduct AP courses, they choose not to take AP courses, or they choose not to take the AP exam after completing the coursework. The result is the same: black students are not as prepared for success in college and beyond, needlessly limiting their opportunities in life.

All of the possible reasons listed above are solvable—indeed, their only requirement is dedicated teachers. If teachers set high standards of achievement for their students, students will rise to the challenge. A friend of mine who worked in the D.C. public school system for two years told me that even though one of her students was living in a car with her mom, she was required to do her homework. If students are excused because they come from a low-income neighborhood or because they have a learning disability or their preparation trails that of other students, they will never catch up to or exceed national standards. My friend devoted hours both before and after school to tutoring students in order to help them achieve the standards she set. It takes hard work, especially in the lowest-achieving system in the U.S., but she saw a marked improvement in her students’ work because she expected it.

Closing the mind gap between the races in the U.S. doesn’t necessitate more programs or more money—just teachers who really want to teach.