warning, this is an AI-generated article
Black children in the United States lag their peers in almost every measurable category—academic performance, graduation rates, college readiness, and more. If you ask any random person on the street how black kids are faring in school today, you’re likely to get a negative answer. That’s because for decades now, research has shown that students of color as a whole are struggling academically compared to their peers.
Fortunately, some educators and researchers have dedicated themselves to understanding what’s going wrong and how we can fix it. As a result of this research and study, we know much more about the state of black student achievement today than ever before. Let’s take a closer look at what we know about black student achievement.
Basics of Black Student Achievement Research
This article explores what we know about the achievement gap between black and white students. This article also explores the ways that researchers attempt to explain the achievement gap. Researchers and academics use different types of research to explore different elements of the black student achievement gap.
Survey research – This is when researchers conduct surveys where people are asked to self-report. Some common types of survey research include – Quantitative surveys where researchers ask participants a series of questions and then analyze the data.
Qualitative surveys – Where researchers ask participants to reflect on a topic and then analyze their written responses. – Focus groups where researchers gather a small group of participants and have them explore a topic together.
Field research – This is when researchers observe something in real life as it naturally occurs. Some common types of field research include:
Ethnographic research – Where researchers observe a group of people and explore how they live their lives. – Case studies where researchers explore a single topic or event in depth. – Participatory action research is where researchers participate in a social issue as a way of exploring it.
Why Are Black Students Faring Poorly in School?
For decades, research has explored the achievement gap between black and white students. Some researchers have explored the reasons for the gap by looking at the students and their families. Some researchers have found that these kids are more likely to grow up in poverty, which can affect student achievement.
Many African American students also lack the resources that white students have. For example, kids of color are more likely to attend schools with fewer resources, such as smaller libraries or fewer computer labs. They are also less likely to have experienced teachers.
Some researchers have explored how brown and black kids respond to the racism they encounter while in school. They have found that these students are often negatively affected by racial bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions. Sadly, because of these and other factors, research has shown that these students don’t fare as well academically compared to their peers.
Academic Disparity Between Black and White Students
The achievement gap between black and white students is evident across all areas of academic achievement. Black students perform worse on standardized tests and are less likely to graduate high school.
They also attend colleges at lower rates. Research has shown that the achievement gap is even larger between black males and black females than between black students and their white peers. Clearly, there is a lot of room for improvement. And educators, researchers, and policymakers are working together to close the gap.
Academic Disparity Between Black Males and Black Females
While it’s clear that black students as a whole are not achieving as their peers, it’s also evident that this is particularly significant for black males. Black males are not achieving as their female peers either, but they are falling even further behind black females.
Black males are often the ones who are dropping out of high school, failing standardized tests, and being pushed out of classrooms. Black males are also much more likely to be disciplined in school. They are more likely to be suspended, expelled, or be given detention. The most common reason for disciplinary action is disruptive behavior. Black males are also much more likely to be killed by police due to racial bias.
What We Know About the Educational Experiences of Black Students
Researchers have explored a variety of topics related to the educational experiences of black students. Let’s take a look at a few. The impact of Black Lives Matter on black students – The Black Lives Matter movement has had a significant impact on how black students experience school and live their lives.
Some researchers have explored how Black Lives Matter has influenced black students. Research has shown that black students who experience the Black Lives Matter movement are more likely to be hopeful about the future. They are also more likely to feel supported and connected to their schools.
The impact of the Black Panther movie on black students
The Marvel movie Black Panther has also had a significant impact on black students. Research has shown that black students who watched the film are more likely to have higher aspirations for their future. They are also more likely to have a sense of belonging at school. It is believed that the film’s themes, such as black empowerment, have had an impact on viewers.
Examples of black students who achieve academically. What makes them different?
Let’s take a look at a few examples of black students who are achieving academically. We can explore what researchers believe makes these students different and how we can help more students achieve. Black students are often portrayed as struggling in school. But what if we could change the narrative and tell a story of black students who are thriving?
Let’s take a closer look at the examples above. Research has shown that the achievement gap is even larger between black males and black females than between black students and their white peers. But what if we could flip this narrative and show that the gap is smaller between black males and black females than between black students and their white peers?
What if we could show that black students who have been positively impacted by the Black Lives Matter movement are more hopeful about their future? And that they feel more connected to their schools? What if we could show that students who have watched the Black Panther movie are more likely to have high aspirations for their future and feel a sense of belonging at school?
Conclusion
The research shows that black students are certainly faring poorly in school compared to their peers. But we can change the narrative and show that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are many ways that educators and policy makers can work together to help black students achieve. Let’s do everything we can to flip the narrative and create a future where black students are thriving academically.