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*The California state superintendent of public education recently released the latest results of the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program (STAR). STAR is composed of four tests designed to measure the proficiency of students in math and English. The good news is that 50 percent of English learners – those for whom English is a second language – rated as proficient or above in English and 43 percent in math.
The bad news is that overall only 42 percent of California students scored proficient or higher in English and 40 percent in mathematics. Worse still is the revelation that only 29 percent of black students scored at the proficient or advanced level in English and only 24 percent in math. I’ll pause a moment so the weight of that information can sink in. Fifty percent of students for whom English is a second language scored proficient or advanced in English while only 29 percent of Black students were proficient in their native tongue!
The tone of the news release, however, was rather optimistic. I imagine there is a certain “glass as half full” way to look at this. Students of every ethnic and economic group are making steady gains. The overall scores were two percent higher than last year, and one could argue that 50 percent of English learners scoring well is proof that our public schools are doing something correctly. Of course, one could also make the argument that if our education system were really firing on all cylinders, the scores of English learners might be even higher.
Certainly it is a stretch to apply such optimism to the scores of black children, which are dismal from any vantage point. I can, therefore, only marvel at the lack of shame exhibited by the California Department of Education. Rather than hang their heads in shame at such a colossal failure, they suggest we look on the bright side and then have the gall to ask for more money. The state of California currently spends more than $60 billion per year to educate 6 million students (more than $11,000 per student) and the average teacher salary is the highest in the nation. Exactly how much does it cost to have at least half the students proficient in math and reading, and exactly when can Black parents expect a better return on their investment?
The recipe for the successful education of children requires four key ingredients: high standards, a focus on the basics, leaders empowered to mold the culture and personality of their schools and, most importantly, accountability to parents. Add students and incubate for 12 years until finished.
Amistad Academy, a charter school in New Haven, Connecticut, has used this recipe with terrific results. The students, chosen from the regular student population by lottery, are overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic. They enter the academy with the same low scores as their peers and exit scoring above the state averages. What is more, they are confident and enthusiastic about learning. At Amistad, it’s cool to be smart.
Amistad is not unique. There are schools like this in every city across the nation. What they all have in common is they expect children to master difficult material. There is precious little time for excuses because they are too busy studying math, drilling English grammar and usage, reading classic literature and discovering the mysteries of science. Principals are free to cultivate the culture of their schools, instilling a sense of pride and enthusiasm amongst the students. Many have been given the power to hand select their staffs, hiring and firing teachers based on the teachers’ performance it the classroom. Most importantly, these school leaders work with and are accountable to parents, who work hand in hand with educators to ensure that students are reaching their potential. And they all manage to do it on a shoestring budget.
The children of California are not to blame for their dismal performance on STAR. These kids are not failing; the education system is failing them. There is no monopoly on brainpower! All kids – black and white, rich and poor – are capable of proficiency in English and math if challenged to do so and provided the tools.
Education is not rocket science. That is a lesson it is time the education establishment learned.
Joseph C. Phillips is an actor/writer based in Los Angeles. His column appears regularly in newspapers and and he is a regular commentator on News and Notes with Ed Gordon on NPR. Phillips is the author of "He Talk Like A White Boy" now available wherever books are sold; it can also be purchased online here: http://subnorks.notlong.com. Contact him at: Joseph@josephcphillips.com