The High-Stakes Pipeline
A Boston student explains the connection between high-stakes testing, harsh discipline policies and the school-to-prison pipeline…
DE’ANTHONY ROBINSON ADDRESSES FELLOW STUDENTS AT THE STATEHOUSE. ROBINSON AND HIS CLASSMATES WON THIS YEAR’S GENERATION CITIZEN CHANGEMAKER AWARD FOR THEIR RESEARCH INTO HARSH DISCIPLINE POLICIES AND HOW THEY PUSH KIDS INTO THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE.
I am De’Anthony Robinson and I am a student at Brighton High. I am just weeks away from graduating from high school. I am incredibly proud of that. But as I travel back and forth across the city for school every day, I see many of my friends who are not going to make it. Out of all of my childhood friends, only two will graduate. Like many young people of color in this city and country, they are struggling to finish school. They feel alienated from their education because of issues like high stakes tests, unfair discipline policies and schools that just don’t help them feel successful. My friends are not on a good path in life and there are so many that others like them. In fact only 59 percent of young black men graduate from high school and only 65 percent of young Latino men graduate. One out of every three black men and one out of every six Latino men will serve time in prison.
Naming the problem
Four months ago, while I knew my friends were struggling, I had no idea their struggle had a name. I know now that they are caught up in the school-to-prison pipeline. Because of the Generation Citizen program I learned not only the name of this issue, but also the complex causes and major effects that are impacting my generation and my community.
Four months ago, while I knew my friends were struggling, I had no idea their struggle had a name. I know now that they are caught up in the school-to-prison pipeline. Because of the Generation Citizen program I learned not only the name of this issue, but also the complex causes and major effects that are impacting my generation and my community.
DE’ANTHONY ROBINSON AND HIS CLASSMATES AT BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL SHOW OFF THEIR AWARD-WINNING RESEARCH.
As my classmates and I began our research on the school to prison pipeline, I began to see my own experiences and reflect on how I could have been caught up in the cycle. There are so many complex issues that push young urban youth away from our schools. Two issues that I relate most to are the impact of standardized testing and harsh discipline policies. I have been taking MCAS my whole life, and it never helped me The High-Stakes Pipeline | EduShyster:
