The Racial Achievement Gap in African-American Studies Essay Example
The Racial Achievement Gap in African-American Studies Essay Example

The Racial Achievement Gap in African-American Studies Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (433 words)
  • Published: March 31, 2022
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Pervasive ethnic and racial disparities exist in the educational sector, with African American and other minority groups consistently falling behind Whites and Asian Americans academically. These disparities can be attributed to differences in social-economic status and overall wellbeing, which are apparent from early childhood through K-12 education. They can also be seen in academic achievement scores, as well as in various indicators such as dropout rates, disciplinary issues, and school expulsion. School integration emerged as a significant reform strategy during a period of political unrest centuries ago, aiming to address these disparities.

Separate schools for black and white students were seen as intrinsically unequal, and ideas for integrating schools based on socioeconomic status were thought to have the potential to improve academic achievement more than other suggested methods. However, this theory was contradicted in the 1970s when racial school desegregation beca

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me a priority. Federal judges ordered that children travel across towns to achieve racial balance, which later sparked rebellion. Although educational disparities are similar among different ethnic and minority racial groups, there are certain areas where these disparities are particularly highlighted for each respective group.

The media frequently portrays Africans and other races as migrants or children of immigrants who are known as English Learners (EL) because they have a limited ability to speak English. Conversely, African Americans experience notable disparities in terms of achievement, particularly when it comes to disciplinary actions in schools. While there is less research available on American Indian and Southeast Asian populations, current evidence indicates that these smaller ethnic and racial minority groups face similar challenges. Overall, it seems that immigrant children tend to perform better academically than their American counterparts.

Foreigners from

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African and Asian countries have reported differences in educational achievement and work ethic compared to their American counterparts. However, when Asians and Africans are combined, Asian Americans perform better than Whites in education while Africans show lower academic performance. These disparities can be attributed to the different reasons for immigration from these two regions. A larger number of African immigrants come to the US for family reunification purposes, whereas more Asian immigrants arrive to fill job shortages, resulting in higher levels of education upon arrival. Recent studies also suggest that access to educational resources may contribute to the disparities between Africans and other racial groups like Latinos and Asian Americans. This difference is mainly due to the greater financial status of Asian Americans who can use their resources to support their children's academic achievements.

Despite being disproportionately represented in the lower social-economic class, Africans achieve educational performance that is commensurate with their socio-economic status.

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