Report: Disparities in U.S. schools still a barrier for minorities
Sixty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans have the right to the same educational benefits as whites.
But according to civil rights data released by the Education Department, inequities for blacks and other minorities and those with disabilities still exist.
Minority students are less likely to have access to advanced math and science classes and veteran teachers. Black students of any age, even the youngest preschoolers, are more likely to be suspended. And students with disabilities are more likely than other students to be tied down or placed alone in a room as a form of discipline.
“It is clear that the United States has a great distance to go to meet our goal of providing opportunities for every student to succeed,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
But the department offered no explanation of why these disparities exist.
The report found data reflecting minority access to advanced classes particularly striking.
Twenty-five percent of high schools with the highest percentage of black and Latino students do not offer Algebra II and a third of these schools do not offer chemistry.
Just 25 percent of black and Latino students were enrolled in advanced placement courses, which allows high school students to earn college credit. Less than 1 in 5 students scored high enough to get college credit.
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