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WisKids Count Disparities

Project Overview
Significant disparities in a number of areas of well-being exist between children and families of color in Wisconsin and their white neighbors. Sadly, while Wisconsin is not unique in this struggle, in some cases the gaps between white children and children of color are the worst in the nation. Through our work with the legislature, publications and press we continue to raise the issue of disparities in the context of issues of concern to all Wisconsin families. This page is devoted to looking specifically at these gaps and suggests resources that address the barriers present in our state.

We are cognizant that behind the data we present are real Wisconsin children and families with dreams and aspirations as well as everyday struggles. We recognize that racial discrimination plays a large part in the continuing disparities between races and ethnicities in our state.
       

Closing the Achievement Gap

The average reading score for a black 17-year-old on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) test is the same as that of a white 13-year-old.

In eighth grade reading and fourth grade math, the achievement gap between black and white students was larger in Wisconsin than in any other state on the Nation's Report Card.

Test scores for black students in Wisconsin fall below national averages in every category (NAEP). To look at other scores on the NAEP, go to http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
Statewide, on the eighth grade reading test, 47 percent of white students were advanced, and only 11percent of black students.

Statewide, on the eighth grade reading test, 47 percent of white students were advanced, and only 11 percent of black students.

Statewide, the gap between graduation rates for black and white students is 32.33 percent. For Hispanic students it is 19.05 percent (DPI).

Students of color in Wisconsin are less likely to be prepared for college. A study by the Manhattan Institute reports that only 11percent of Black students, 15 percent of Hispanic students, and 20 percent of Native American students in Wisconsin are college ready, while 40 percent are deemed college ready (1).

Statewide a gap exists between adults' educational attainment. Of Asian adults over 25, 48 percent hold post secondary degrees, 31 percent of white adults hold degrees, while 16 percent of black adults and 15 percent of Hispanic adults have completed education beyond high school.

Closing the achievement gap is not just an academic issue. Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips, editors of "The Black-White Test Score Gap," wrote, "If racial equality is America's goal, reducing the black-white test score gap would probably do more to promote this goal than any other strategy that commands broad political support (2)."

While poverty can account for some of the achievement gap, when adjusted for income disparities, the gap is still there. Studies have found that income differences account for about half of the achievement gap (3). The fact remains that black and Hispanic students in Wisconsin and nationwide are not being educated as well as their white counterparts. The gap is not intractable. It did begin to close in the 1970s, and lessons learned during that period can be applied today.

This is an issue that affects everyone, not just families of color. Quality education helps reduce poverty and inequality and produces a more qualified workforce. We must work together to ensure that all of our children are being educated to their fullest potential.

Model Programs

Schools of Hope. A program begun in the Madison Metropolitan School District in partnership with United Way that, in 10 years, has sharply narrowed the racial achievement gap on the third grade reading test. This program combines effective teaching techniques with one-on-one tutoring using volunteers. For more information, go to http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/soh/index.htm

Amistad Academy. A Connecticut school that is part of the Achievement First system for urban students. They focus on instructional quality, parental involvement, standards based curriculum, and student achievement. Amistad Academy has 84 percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch and 97 percent students of color. The class of 2004's latest scores for African-American students on the Connecticut Mastery Test in reading, math, and writing ranged from 43 to 37 points higher than the state average. 75 percent of their high school graduates will receive a bachelor's degree within six years of their high school graduation. For more information, go to http://www.achievementfirst.org/schools.amistad.html

Success for All. A program begun in Baltimore in 1987, Success for All is a whole-school reform model. It provides schools with research-based curriculum, instructional strategies and professional development. In a study of Texas schools implementing SFA compared to schools not implementing it, scores of African-Americans and Latinos gained significantly more in SFA schools than in the rest of the state. The program can also be widely replicated with similar results. For more information, go to Success for All http://www.successforall.gov.uk/

Policy Solutions

Smaller class sizes. One example of this is the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) class reduction program in Wisconsin. A study by the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University found these gains in the academic achievement of students in schools that participate in the SAGE program:

Increased student achievement

Is most beneficial to African-American students

Narrowed the achievement gap between African-American and white students

For more information on SAGE, go to http://www.weac.org/sage/
More highly qualified teachers. In high poverty urban school districts such as Milwaukee, with a high proportion of African-American and Latino students, there are already teacher shortages. These shortages lead to hiring teachers who are not certified in the area they are teaching, or certified at all. Improving teacher quality has been linked to improved achievement, especially for African-American students. What needs to be done? We need to:

increase teacher supply and raise teacher quality

increase teacher salaries, especially in high poverty districts

recruit teachers in targeted areas such as math and science

provide college loan forgiveness and scholarships for incoming teachers who plan to teach in these areas.

High quality preschool and early education programs with increased parental involvement. Research has shown that about half of the achievement gap between black and white high school students is present when children begin attending school (4). If we are to close the achievement gap, we must work to close the gap that exists before children enter school.

For more information on quality early education, you can link to the WCCF Early Education Matters Project: http://www.wccf.org/proj_education.php

Black children are more likely to attend lower-quality preschool programs than their peers. (4) Improving the quality of and access to Head Start and other early education programs for children of color will help to close the gap

Increasing parental involvement in early education, particularly with black and Hispanic parents has been shown to reduce the gaps in school readiness (4). Parenting programs such as parental training in discipline and literacy have been shown to have positive effects on the child

Improving the access that children have to high quality 4-year-old kindergarten in the State is essential

References

(1) Green, Jay P. and Forester, Greg (September 2003), Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States, The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, New York, New York, Appendix Table 9: College Readiness Rate

(2) Jencks, Christopher, and Phillips, Meredith (1998). The Black-White Test Score Gap. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.

(3) Duncan, G. & Magnuson, K. "Can Family Socioeconomic Resources Account for Rachial and Ethnic Test Score Gaps?"

(4) Brooks-Gunn, J., McLanahan, S., & Rouse, R (2005). Introducing the Issue; School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps. The Future of Children 15(1).

"Mind the Gap: Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Education Demands Commitment."