Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Black Pre-School Children Suspended at Alarming Rate;




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Black Pre-School Students Suspended at Alarming Rates
Latest Education Results Troubling for Black Students
Black Students Less Likely to Have Qualified, Veteran Teachers
Wanted: 30 Black Men to Earn $10,000 Each for Doing Good
National Conference on Educating Black Children Conference
COSEBOC Teaches Boys of Color
Procter Conference Sponsors Daniel Beaty
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Preschool Suspensions a New Data Point for Civil Rights Data Collection
("School-to-prison pipeline starts in pre-school for Black students with disproportionate suspensions and disciplinary actions" - The Black Star Project)
Chart provided by The Black Star Project
March 21, 2014
Black children represent 18 percent of the students enrolled in preschool, but 48 percent of preschool children receiving more than one out-of-school suspension, according to the U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection.
The data point on preschool discipline was a new question asked of districts for this data collection, which represents statistics from the 2011-12 school year. Schools representing nearly all of the nation's public school children were surveyed as part of this collection (in contrast, the department released results of a civil rights data collection in 2012, but that represented about 7,000 districts.)
Other preschool suspension data: white students make up 43 percent of children in preschool, but 26 percent of students suspended. Boys are 79 percent of the preschool children suspended once, and 82 percent of preschoolers suspended multiple times (boys make up about 54 percent of overall preschool enrollment.)
The data collection also offered statistics on preschool access: about 40 percent of districts do not offer preschool. Fifty-seven percent of the districts that do have preschool only have it for part of the day. And just over hal of the school districts that operate preschools make the programs universally accessible-in other cases, the programs are targeted to children from low-income families or children with disabilities.
About 4 percent of kindergarten students, or 140,000 children, were retained in kindergarten in 2011-12. But Arkansas, at 12 percent; Hawaii at 12 percent, and Mississippi at 8 percent, retained more of their kindergarten students than the national average. American Indian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander children were retained at a higher percentage than the national average, at 7 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
Click Here to see National State-By-State Civil Rights Data Points on Racial Disparities in Education in U.S. Schools
Expansive Survey of America's Public Schools Reveals Troubling Racial Disparities

Lack of Access to Pre-School,
Greater Suspensions Cited
March 21, 2014
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released today the first comprehensive look at civil rights data from every public school in the country in nearly 15 years.
The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) from the 2011-12 school year was announced by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at J.O. Wilson Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
This is the first time since 2000 that the Department has compiled data from all 97,000 of the nation's public schools and its 16,500 school districts - representing 49 million students. And for the first time ever, state-, district- and school-level information is accessible to the public in a searchable online database at www.crdc.ed.gov.
U.S. Sec. of Education, Arne Duncan
"This data collection shines a clear, unbiased light on places that are delivering on the promise of an equal education for every child and places where the largest gaps remain. In all, it is clear that the United States has a great distance to go to meet our goal of providing opportunities for every student to succeed," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "As the President's education budget reflects in every element - from preschool funds to Pell Grants to Title I to special education funds - this administration is committed to ensuring equity of opportunity for all."
U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder
"This critical report shows that racial disparities in school discipline policies are not only well-documented among older students, but actually begin during preschool," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "Every data point represents a life impacted and a future potentially diverted or derailed. This Administration is moving aggressively to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline in order to ensure that all of our young people have equal educational opportunities."
The data released today reveals particular concern around discipline for our nation's young men and boys of color, who are disproportionately affected by suspensions and zero-tolerance policies in schools. Suspended students are less likely to graduate on time and more likely to be suspended again. They are also more likely to repeat a grade, drop out, and become involved in the juvenile justice system.
Click Here to Read Full Article



Black Students Less Likely to Be Taught By Certified Teachers,
Ed. Dept. Data Show
March 21, 2014
Students of color are more likely to be taught by underqualified teachers, novice teachers, or teachers with lower salaries than their peers, according to national data from the 2011-12 school year released today by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The data confirms a host of other research.
Teacher equity is actually a fairly new addition to the collection. It was first collected in 2009-10, but only for a sample of schools and districts. So the data released today represent the first comprehensive figures based on reporting from every single district.
Black students appeared to be the hardest hit by such inequities. In one startling finding, nearly 7 percent of black students attended schools where more than 20 percent of teachers hadn't yet met all state certification requirements.
That figure was more than four times higher than for white students (1.5 percent) and more than twice as high than for Latino students (3 percent). Much other research shows that poor and minority teachers tend to have out-of-field or otherwise unqualified teachers.
Researchers have also shown over and over that novice teachers, particularly those in their first year, are less effective on average than experienced teachers. Yet Black, Latino, American Indian, and Native Alaskans were more likely to be in schools with a concentration of novices than their white peers, according to the OCR data.
And at the high school level, nearly a quarter of districts with at least two high schools had a $5,000 gap in teacher salaries between schools with the highest and lowest concentration of black and Latino students. (About half of districts had a gap of $500 or less, and across the country the average gap is $1,913. Compare these results to the 2009-10 sample, which found a slightly larger average gap amount.)
This year's data release is the first since 2000 reflecting information from all schools and districts, including charter schools and juvenile justice facilities.

Click Here to Read Full Story
In Jackson, Mississippi, federal school report highlights Mississippi disparities
Black students are much more likely to be taught by rookie teachers, and black males are suspended at the second-highest rates in the country

Jeff Amy
March 21, 2014

JACKSON - Black students in Mississippi are much more likely to be taught by rookie teachers, and black males are suspended at the second-highest rates in the country.
Neither finding is much of a surprise in Mississippi, where many districts with largely black student bodies scramble for teachers each year and where litigation has focused on harsh disciplinary practices in Jackson and Meridian.
Research nationwide has shown that most teachers become more effective after their first year.
In Mississippi, 7 percent of black students attended a school where more than 20 percent of teachers are in their first year, compared to 1 percent of white students.
Nationwide 4 percent of black students attended such schools, while 2 percent of white students do.
Some other states have higher rates of black students attending rookie-heavy schools, but Mississippi's 7-to-1 ratio among black and white students was exceeded only by Maryland's with a 9-to-1 ratio.
Civil rights activists say that despite legal actions, they fear suspensions are still harming the academic careers of African-American boys.
Mississippi had the second highest rate of suspension for black male students and the second-highest gap between the rate of suspension for black and white male students, both behind West Virginia.
The report showed that 27 percent of black male students were suspended from school at least once, compared to 7 percent for white males - a disparity of 20 percentage points. Nationally, the black-white gap was 14 percentage points.
Johnson's group helped spark a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit against the Meridian schools because of the frequent arrest of students, making juvenile offenses out of many nonviolent school infractions. The district there agreed to reform its discipline system after it was sued.
Click Here to Read Full Story
Wanted:
10 Black Men in Detroit, 10 in Baltimore and 10 in Philadelphia to Earn $10,000 Each for Doing What Good Black Men Do
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BMe COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN IN DETROIT, BALTIMORE AND PHILADELPHIA
March, 20, 2014
Today BMe begins accepting nominations for its 2014 "BMe Leadership Awards" which are presented to inspired black men in Philadelphia, Detroit and Baltimore who are committed to helping others and improving their community.
The BMe Leadership Award was created to recognize the many ways that black men are assets to communities. It rewards and celebrates everyday black men whose meaningful contributions are often overlooked.
In each city, 10 BMe Leadership Award earners, called 'BMe Leaders' will receive public recognition, a $10,000 grant to apply toward their community work and the opportunity to be networked with other black men like them. BMe promotes BMe Leaders as examples of inspired black men locally and nationally.
"We all personally know men like these - our fathers, co-workers, mentors and friends," says Trabian Shorters, BMe's founding CEO. "Here's a chance to honor them because their contributions are so often overlooked. Everyone nominated will have a chance to be recognized."
Nominees, as well as their nominators of any race or sex, benefit from gaining access to the BMe Community, its news, web tools and local community-building events.
Nominees must be at least 18 years old and their contributions to the community must benefit those in their respective cities of Detroit, Baltimore or Philadelphia. Since 2012, BMe has presented 70 Leadership Awards to black men who continue to make a significant and lasting impact on their neighbors and city.
On April 7th nominees will be asked to submit a short application detailing what they would do with the $10,000 grant if selected.
Click Here to Nominate a Good Black Man in Detroit, Baltimore andPhiladelphia to Become A BMeFellow
for the
National Council on
Educating Black Children's
National Convention
COSEBOC's 8th annual Gathering of Leaders will convene in Jackson, Mississippi, April 23-25, 2014, followed by the White House Initiative Town Hall on Educational Excellence for African-Americans on April 25-26, 2014.
Dear Education Colleague,
The theme of this year's Gathering of Leaders is Onward and Upward! Advancing the Affirmative Development of Boys and Young Men of Color. 500 educators will convene on the campus of historic Jackson State University for learning experiences and collegiality. Join educators nationwide who share a passion for ensuring that all boys and young men of color achieve academic success. Highlights will include:
* Our traditional, extraordinary Call to Action by young men of color
* Workshops on the seven core areas of the COSEBOC Standards - Assessment, Parent/Family/Community Partnership, Curriculum and Instruction, School Environment and Climate, School Leadership, School Counseling, and School Organization
* 8 COSEBOC School Award Principals will offer workshops on their strategies that have proven effective in generating academic success in their boys and young men of color
* Special session For School Principals Only
* 'TED-like Talks' by visionary educators
* Special working session and reception for members, ensuring that the Gathering is highly productive for members and their year-round work with COSEBOC
* Awards Dinner to celebrate and learn from the FY14 COSEBOC School Award winners
* Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the City with Soul at the heart of the civil rights movement - Jackson, Mississippi
The special feature of this year's Gathering is the free opportunity to participate in a Town Hall conducted by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. This extraordinary event will take place on Friday evening and all-day Saturday.
Click Here to Register for This Event

SAVE THE DATE:
Jackson, Mississippi to host the
Onward and Upward!: Advancing the Affirmative Development of Boys and Young Men of Color. This theme recognizes the historic and current efforts of good people across the nation and in Mississippi, allied with COSEBOC's intent to build a new narrative for boys and young men of color. Mark your calendars now!
Join the Nation to Celebrate the History, Study and Movement of Black Men and Boys in America
Sponsored by Morehouse College
and Harvard University

Click Here to Learn More About or Register for Conference
The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and the Faith Community of Saint Sabina present master motivator --
Daniel Beaty
Saturday, March 29, 2014
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Faith Community of Saint Sabina
1210 West 78th Place
Chicago, Illinois
Free Admission
Click Here to See and Hear "Knock, Knock!"

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