Free Republic

National discussions of college athletics routinely emphasize race. That emphasis, however, is unfortunate because it diverts attention from issues that affect all student-athletes. Also, discussions of race in college sports commonly rely on questionable statistics. Some of those statistics come from a report by Shaun Harper, head of the Center on Race and Equity at the University of Southern California. His report makes the case that big-money college athletics exploits black male athletes—or, as Harper’s Washington Post op-ed read, “Black Men Will Play and White Men Will Profit.” Harper’s report provides useful data on graduation rates of black male athletes...

And more reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz than the three Rs or even John Dewey. "In addition to the 937 students to whom D.C. officials improperly granted diplomas in 2017, a recent audit undertaken in neighboring Prince George’s County, Maryland, found that as many as a quarter of that district’s 2016 and 2017 high school graduates may not have met requirements," Brandon L. Wright writes in an article distributed by the Thomas Fordham Institute. "A year earlier, five veteran educators in El Paso were indicted on federal charges in connection to, as an FBI agent said, 'criminal conduct and...

Executive Summary In the fall of 2001, nearly 1.2 million freshmen began college at a four-year institution of higher education somewhere in the United States. Nearly all of them expected to earn a bachelor's degree. As a rule, college students do not pack their belongings into the back of a minivan in early September wondering if they will get a diploma--only when. For many students, however, that confidence was misplaced. At a time when college degrees are valuable--with employers paying a premium for college graduates--fewer than 60 percent of new students graduated from four-year colleges within six years. At many...

English and Math. The two staple subjects of our society. Look at the SAT. Half of the questions are verbal and the other half are math. When measuring a student’s college acceptance worthiness, admission offices place a large focus on how well students perform in these two subjects. Statistically, girls outperform boys in English, while boys outperform girls in Math. Seems fair enough; however, a closer look tells a different story. The National Assessment of Educational Progress provides statistics on female versus male performance in reading and math. By the time children reach the age of seventeen, girls outperform boys...

KERRY CLAIMS: 53% OF CHILDREN DO NOT GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL Wed Feb 01 2006 10:43:40 ET Sen. John Kerry claimed this morning on NBC TODAY that 53% of America's children do not graduate from high school -- a claim that raised eyebrows in the NBC control room, sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT. Kerry made the comments after host Katie Couric asked the former presidential candidate about Bush's State of the Union call to train 70,000 additional teachers in math and science. COURIC: He wanted to train 70,000 additional teachers in math and science. KERRY: That's terrific. But 53 percent...

On March 17, 2005, 15-year-old Delusa Allen was shot in the head while leaving Locke High School in Los Angeles, sending her into intensive care and eventually killing her. Four months before that several kids were injured in a riot at the same school, and last year the district had to settle a lawsuit by a student who required eye surgery after he was beaten there. In 2000, 17-year-old Deangelo Anderson was shot just across the street from Locke; he lay dead on the sidewalk for hours before the coroner came to collect his body. Violent crime is common at...

It's an article of faith among liberal journalists that Ronald Reagan's economic policies were bad for African-Americans - though, in fact, government statistics show that nothing could be further from the truth. "As he left office, a Lou Harris poll found nearly 80 percent of blacks considered his administration oppressive," CNN correspondent Adaora Udoji noted to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Tuesday night. Jackson readily concurred, acknowledging that Reagan's relationship with blacks was "very hostile." In an earlier CNN interview Jackson observed, "Reagan believed in states' rights and Jefferson Davis, I believe in the Union and Abraham Lincoln." Even in less...