No Plan to Fix Black Academic Failure in Chicago’s Suburbs

American Greatness ^ | 8 Jun, 2022 | Matt Rosenberg

[MtnClimber]

Too many communities are content to let black academic failure fester while spouting “equity” and “structural racism” bromides as cover. That has to end.

A national media furor erupted last week after a Chicago-area news site reported 77 percent of black students in suburban Chicago’s Oak Park-River Forest High School District 200 “flunked” the SAT, and that district was going to implement race-based grading. The district itself, mainstream media, and even “fact-checkers” pushed back. Justifiably, to some extent.

First, one does not quite “flunk” the SAT. Second, new and “equitable” District 200 grading policies are not finished, although the handwriting is on the wall. Third, the grading changes being eyed manage to skirt any overt mention of race, at least in the May 26 board meeting’s featured slideshow.

But critics of the initial news item still managed to miss the real story. The SAT results for District 200 are damning, and the district’s solution is to engineer “equity” rather than lift all boats through increased rigor and focus.

SAT data in the Illinois Report Card show that for District 200 black 11th graders, only 23 percent tested could meet the state’s “performance level” standard of 540 or higher on the language portion of the SAT. Even more alarming, only 12 percent of District 200 black 11th graders taking the test met performance level on the math SAT. In both subjects, 11th grade SAT scores for whites, Hispanics, Asians, and all students were dramatically better than for black students.

Added to that, District 200’s board meeting materials make clear that administrators are headed toward adopting new “equitable assessment practices” which might allow students to not turn in homework, to get do-overs on tests, or even to take “alternative” tests that skate around their lack of core academic skills. That’s all buried within the educrat jargon of the slide show. The how is explained below. The big takeaway, however, is that District 200 wants an escape hatch from the academic failure of black students that’s so glaringly evident in their SAT reading and math results.

What’s To Be Done?

Let’s back up for a moment, in order to introduce the evidence. The main exhibit is the OPRF High School SAT results. To see results by race, click “Demographics” and check the boxes. What you’ll find: On the 2021 SAT reading test (known as English Language Arts, or ELA) 62 percent of all District 200 students met the state benchmark of a 540 score or higher. Only 23 percent of black students met or exceeded the state benchmark in ELA on the SAT, versus 50 percent of Hispanics, 73 percent of Asians, and 75 percent of whites.

Here are the 2021 OPRF 11th grade SAT results for ELA as shown in the Illinois Report Card. To get the total percent of students meeting or exceeding the state-based “performance level” of 540 or higher, add the bright green and dark green bar subtotals together.

[MtnClimber]

The racism of low expectations.

[EEGator]

Doing well in school is “acting white”.
At least it was in public school in Wilmington DE.

[MtnClimber]

Yes. When I was in school it was “Suckin’ up to da crackers”. If their families (mothers) and their communities don’t value academic achievement then I don’t know what the schools can do.

[SamAdams76]

The Left pretends they are doing a good thing by handing high school diplomas to inner city black kids who can hardly read or write. But they are pushing them into a world where most of them will consistently underachieve and eventually turn to a life of welfare and or crime.

This is as intended. By keeping the black race "down", the Left keeps them dependent on their government programs and "good intentions."

[EEGator]

There’s nothing the schools can do.
One’s foundation begins at home.

[central_va]

“Ghetto Math Proficiency Exam” joke
City of New York, Borough of Bronx
High School Math Proficiency Exam
Name:____________________ Gang:_________________
1. Darnel has an AK-47 with a 40-round clip. If he shoots 13 times during each drive-by shooting and misses 6 out of 10 shots, how many drive by shootings can he attempt before he has to reload?
2. Jose has 2 ounces of cocaine, and he sells an 8-ball to Jackson for $320 and 2 grams to Little Mikey for $85 per gram. What is the street value of the balance of cocaine if he does not cut it?
3. Rufus is pimping 3 girls. If the price is $65 for each trick, how many tricks will each girl have to turn so Rufus can pay for his $800 per day crack habit?
4. Dino wants to cut his half-pound of heroin to make a 20% profit. How many ounces of cut will he need?
5. Willis gets $200 for stealing a BMW, $50 for a Chevy and $100 for a 4x4. If he has stolen 2 BMWs and 3 4x4s, how many Chevys will he have to steal to make $800?
6. Raoul is in prison for 6 years for murder. He got $10,000 for performing the hit. If his common law wife is spending $100 per month, how much will be left when he gets out of prison, and how many years will he get for killing the bitch for spending his money?
7. If the average spray can covers 22 square feet and the average letter is 2 square feet, how many letters can a tagger spray with 3 cans of paint?
8. Hector knocked up 6 of the girls in his gang. There are 27 girls in the gang. What percentage of the girls has Hector knocked up?

[Tupelo]

Sometimes, I read a story like this and all I can do is smile.

Then Sometimes, I read a story like this and laugh out loud.

“This variety of urban formations is now well studied: the cities of Egypt and Nubia along the Nile Valley in Antiquity; the Phoenician city-states, such as Carthage, on the shores of the Mediterranean; Aksum in the Horn of Africa (1st-7th centuries); Awdaghust and Azougi in Mauritania; the medieval West African cities of Djenné-Djenno, Gao, Koumbi Saleh, Ifè, and Old Oyo in Yorubaland (15th-19th centuries); Mbanza Kongo in Central Africa; Bigo and Ntusi near the Great Lakes; Kilwa, Shanga, and Songo Mnara on the Swahili Coast, as well as Great Zimbabwe (13th-15th centuries), to name just a few of the better-known examples”
Author: Clélia Coret, Roberto Zaugg, Gérard Chouin
Publish Year: 2020

[AlbertWang]

School integration fails if your graduates cannot perform integration by parts.

The Calculus cares not about race. The field is level. Anyone who denies this is irrational.

[Lurker]

It’s quite possible that the majority of black students in this district are incapable of learning no matter what is done to “help” them.

The “why” of that is a question that’s never going to be asked. Maybe it’s 3 generations of the deliberately done damage to their communities. I don’t know.

But we should at least ask the question.

L

[chuckee]

Schools can’t fix the culture, but they choose to not acknowledge the cause for high failure rates for fear of not towing the line on the victimhood narrative. Equity is the word that the left has developed to put a bandage on the cancer of a culture that does not value education. Only blacks can fix the culture issue, no one else

[Jewbacca]

If they permitted blacks to become educated, they’d leave the Democrat plantation.

Just like their slave owning predecessors, Democrats need blacks shackled.

[Mustangman]

I have been working in the technical industry my entire career. I’m in my 50s. I have never worked at a place that wasn’t doing everything possible to recruit black men, black women, or pretty much anyone who wasn’t a white man. Companies do not like the tag of being racists and bend over backward to help as best they can.

The problem is not the ‘pull.’ The problem is the lack of ‘push’ from the communities to create and develop qualified minorities.

The ‘cliche’ image of a high tech worker wearing a buttoned up shirt, being white, boring, and working on a computer does not appeal to inner city kids. It’s not cool. It’s not hip. It doesn’t impress your friends when you embrace it. There is no support in the community to make it happen anyway with so much chaotic families. It’s just sad. Ultimately, it’s the fault of a ‘culture’ that can it or will not embrace academia as a way to a better life. But whatever it is, it’s not racism. Ask the Asian community. They do just fine.

[adorno]

A national media furor erupted last week after a Chicago-area news site reported 77 percent of black students in suburban Chicago’s Oak Park-River Forest High School District 200 “flunked” the SAT, and that district was going to implement race-based grading.

Well, that's the problem right there. Testing. If they had not been tested, they would not have failed the test.

But, with race=based grading, blacks will all get their HS diploma, no questions asked.

And, with raced-based hiring, no questions will be asked, and most of those future 'employees' will enjoy race-based unemployment.

Everything's working just as democrats planned.

[bert]

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink

You can send a Chicago Kid to school but you can’t make him think

[I want the USA back]

The failure will not be fixed as long as it’s possible to blame it on Whitey.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

And you know how well these very students will do in college, right? Insisting on remediation is “racist,” right? Only fakery on their grades at college level winds up being the norm. Administrators pressure teachers to pass these students. The conspiracy sends woefully unqualified individuals into the world, including into the professions.

[DaBroasta]

Doing well in school is “acting white”. At least it was in public school in Wilmington DE.

So that's why Hunter acts so ghetto.

[Aevery_Freeman]

<>"lift all boats through increased rigor and focus."<>

One cannot teach those that will not learn.

[Aevery_Freeman]

With Affirmative Action to assist in hiring.

We are so screwed.