The California Achievement Gap

Here is another excerpt from the site, Closing the Achievement Gap. It uses an imaginary classroom of children to represent the student population in California.
Blog editor note: I have reviewed the post for some reason it did not come out in paragraph form as it shows on my work page. Sorry.
Here is the site:

http://www.closingtheachievementgap.org/downloads/p16_ctag_report.pdf

Here is the excerpt. It is found on page 12 of the report:

The achievement gap is a pervasive issue in many, if not all, of California’s
schools. California’s achievement data clearly tell a story that is not easy to talk
about. Here is how State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell
described the gap in California’s schools:

Now, to paint a picture of the challenges we face, I’d like to take you on an
imaginary field trip to a fourth-grade classroom—a classroom that reflects
the student population of California. While the scenario is imagined, the
data it is derived from are real.

In this class are 32 youngsters representing the diversity of our state and also
the potential for our future. Sixteen of them are Hispanic, nine are white,
three are Asian, three are African American, and one is of Filipino descent.

Right off the bat when you enter this classroom, you need to know that 16 of
these youngsters (half of the children in front of us) come from families that
are considered low income by the federal government. Three have special
education needs, like developmental or physical disabilities. Thirteen—40
percent of these children—go home and speak a language other than English.

Now, let’s imagine the likely futures of those students, given the state of
education today. If the child is white or Asian, the chances of that child being
academically successful are better than two in three. But the statistical
chances of success for the 19 students sitting right next to them who are African
American or Hispanic? Only slightly better than one in three. If graduation
rates are not improved, odds are that of the 16 Hispanic students, six
will not graduate. And while statistics tell us that all of the Asian students
will graduate, two of the nine white students will not, and one in three African
Americans will not.

Yes, this class is imaginary, but the disparities are real. This is the achievement
gap.

Jack O’Connell
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
2007 State of Education Address