Dispiriting Numbers on Education, Civil Rights
The Education Department released new data last week showing that educational disparities are still very much a reality, despite the best efforts of policymakers and school administrators. Here are some of the findings:
• About 3,000 schools serving nearly 500,000 high school students offer no algebra II classes.
• Some 7,300 schools serving more than 2 million students have no access to calculus classes.
• Schools serving mostly African-American students are twice as likely to have teachers with just one or two years of experience.
• Students with limited English proficiency make up 6 percent of the high school population, but are 15 percent of the students for whom algebra is the highest-level math course taken.
• Only 2 percent of students with disabilities are taking at least one Advanced Placement class.
The data is part of a massive new effort by the Education Department to identify where the gaps are in education achievement and access. It covers a multitude of topics such as access to guidance counselors, bullying policies, prevalence of math and science courses, and where the best (and worst) teachers are clustered.
The results may be depressing, especially for those who have been working for years on making sure all kids get