Dive Brief:
-
Even in preschool, black students are more likely to be suspended than their white counterparts, according to a new report by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
-
The report, which highlights racial disparities in the nation’s school systems, found black students represent 18% of preschool enrollment; however, they also account for 42% of students suspended once and 48% of students suspended more than once.
- The report, which looked at 49 million students, is the first time since 2000 that the Department of Education has collated data from all of America’s 97,000 public schools and 16,5000 districts. All information from the report is available in an online searchable database.
Dive Insight:
The high number of black pre-schoolers suspended has struck a chord with many in the nation. The disturbing statistics have some questioning what kind of threat someone under 5 could pose, as well as how sending a child home is the best solution (versus providing support so they are more prepared — in both academics and behavior — when they get to kindergarten). A few school groups, on the other hand, insist that having disruptive students in the class is unfair for those who come ready to learn.
What nobody is arguing about is the blatant inequalities in the U.S. education system. When announcing the new report, Arne Duncan said, “This data collection shines a clear, unbiased light on the places that are delivering on the promise of an equal education for every child and places where the largest gap 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.”
While news of African American preschool suspensions received the most immediate media attention, the report also highlighted inequality in other grades as well. According to the data, 81% of Asian-American high school students and 71% of white students attend high schools offering a full range of math and science courses, while only 57% of black students and 67% of Latino students have access to such choices.