The gap between black and Latino high school students and their peers in Montgomery County in behavioral problems and dropout rates continues to grow, according to a new study of the school system by the County Council.
In 2007, 14.8 percent of black high school students were suspended at some point during the year – a 4.1 increase since 2000. About 9.5 percent of Latino student were suspended in the past school year – up 2.1 percent since 2000. White students, though, only saw a 3.3 percent suspension rate in 2007, down from 4 percent in 2000.
While the dropout rate has remained around 1.5 percent for whites, it has increased among black students to 3.6 percent in 2007, up from 2.3 percent in 2002. Among Latinos, the rate has increased to 5.3 percent from 3.2 percent.
Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, formerly a member of the school board, said the data “opens the schools up to questions they’re not getting from their own board.”
School officials touted some good news in a new county study: the percentage of black students scoring higher than 1,100 on the SAT increased between 2001 and 2005 and a shrinking gap on performance on advanced placement tests. But even those positive numbers belied a substantial disparity.
The gap betweenblack students and their white peers on SAT scores increased by 4.4 percent. Between Latinos and whites, the gap increased by 12.5 percent.
On AP tests while the gap narrowed, the baseline statistics still reveal a stratified system. Only 57.9 percent of black students who took the exams passed, compared with 78.7 percent of Latino students, 78.8 percent of Asian students and 84.7 percent of white students.
The county data shows black and Latino students in lower grades closing the gap even though black and Latino students falling farther behind when it comes to being ready to enter kindergarten.
“We’re right to be focusing on middle schools and early childhood education,” Jody Leleck, chief academic officer for Montgomery County Public Schools, said. Leleck said that one way to solve the problems in high schools today is by engaging the high schoolers of tomorrow.
The findings will be examined by the council in coming weeks as they prepare to vote this spring on an operating budget for fiscal 2009.
Ervin said Superintendent Jerry Weast can expect some tough questions.
“Jerry’s not used to questions he hasn’t planned to answer.”
Montgomery County’s racial achievement gap
Where it narrowed:
» Maryland state assessments used by No Child Left Behind law
» Completion of algebra by the end of 9th grade
» Math score of the pre-SAT, taken in early high school
Where it widened:
» Writing score of the pre-SAT
» Students identified as in need of special education
» 6th grade enrollment in advanced math
