Closing the achievement gap between minority students and other student groups has long confronted the Howard school board.
Black and Hispanic students are not passing the High School Assessment at the same rate as white students. Beginning with this year?s juniors, all students must pass the test to graduate from high school.
For example, according to the 2007 results, 93.4 percent of white students passed algebra, but only 70.2 percent of black students and 76.4 percent of Hispanic students passed algebra.
How would you bridge the achievement gap?
» Diane Butler: “Start in elementary school. The U.S. is falling behind the industrialized nations in math and science. Start teaching real mathematics and stop teaching to the test.”
» Faenita Dilworth: “We should take a look a closer look at studies that provide insight to this issue. … Without some valid markers, it would be futile to guess a process that would eliminate this gap.”
» Allen Dyer: “I advocate using financial incentives to move the best-qualified teachers to those schools having higher numbers of lower-achieving students. Highly qualified teachers are our most important resource.”
» Ellen Flynn Giles: “Targeted interventions, including preparatory and tutorial classes, co-teaching and after-school programs, are making a difference, but expansion of needs-based supports and neighborhood and family connections are essential for continuous improvement.”
» Betsy Grater: “This is a difficult situation faced by all school districts with multicultural student bodies. Teacher training and extra individual student instruction are required to help ?bridge the gap.? ”
» Janet Siddiqui: “Working with leaders in the community such as the Council of Elders and Conexionnes has helped to strategize and employ methods and programs that are proven effective.”
» Di Zou: “I would hire more minority teachers, because they understand minority students best. I would also make sure the families and communities are involved in the students? education.”
