Urban Schools Can Close the Racial Gaps by Michael Casserly, Executive Director, Council of the Great City Schools Published in USA Today October 14, 1999 Anyone who takes a serious look at student achievement today in America's schools can't help but be reminded of a persistent national concern that we haven't yet resolved: the disparities in performance among students from different racial, ethnic, and language backgrounds. In school districts across the country, African American and Hispanic students generally score lower on standardized tests than white and Asian students. These disparities can't be fully explained by differences in socioeconomic status. Are the tests culturally biased? Can the lower scores of minority students be attributed to less challenging curricula, negative peer pressure, low teacher expectations, lack of fluency in English, students' lingering anxieties about being stereotyped, inadequate funding, or lack of parental involvement? These are just some of the reasons that have been suggested. Whatever the reasons, we can't keep talking about high standards while a large segment of American children remain behind, especially in the nation's urban schools. Urban school leaders have recognized that they have to close the test-score gaps if they want to raise achievement for all children. Many have developed promising strategies toward this end. Their progress has made them optimistic that all children can attain high standards regardless of race or income. The Houston Independent School District is a good example of a district that's "doing the right thing," in the words of President Clinton. The seventh largest school district in the country, Houston enrolls about 211,000 students, of which 53% are Hispanic and 33% are African American. Houston has made notable strides in narrowing achievement disparities in grades three through eight and 10. Consider the following progress between 1994 and 1998 on the state-mandated Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS): The percentage of Hispanic 5th graders who passed the math test increased from 53 percent to 90 percent, while the passing rate for white students rose from 82 percent to 96 percent. The percentage of African American 10th graders who passed the reading test jumped from 62 percent to 84 percent, while the passing rate for white students increased from 90% to 96%. Dr. Rod Paige, the Houston superintendent of schools, is proud of these accomplishments, but he won't be satisfied until every student reaches full academic potential. "Today, we celebrate this tremendous progress," he said. "Tomorrow we go back to work to make it even better next year." Houston isn't the only urban system that's made measurable progress in closing the achievement gaps. Others include Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, El Paso, and Fort Worth, as well as Broward County, Florida (Fort Lauderdale), Dade County, Florida (Miami), Charlotte- Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and Jefferson County, Kentucky (Louisville). How are these districts doing it? Among other strategies, Houston has ended social promotion and is encouraging more minority students to complete algebra and other challenging courses. Children who need intensive support receive academic interventions throughout the school year and during a four-week summer school. But it will take more than the isolated successes of a handful of cities to address this issue. Urban school leaders have formed a national task force through the Council of the Great City Schools to look at communities that are closing the gaps and to spell out a national blue print for action that all urban districts can take to get the job done. Eliminating the gaps in achievement between white and non-white students is one of the best strategies we can do to improve education and create a truly equitable society. It would have a ripple effect in colleges and universities, in the job market, and in many other arenas. It's a goal that Americans of all races can get behind. And, as urban districts are demonstrating, it's a goal we can reach. This message is sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation.