What is the status of education for blacks around the turn of the twenty-first century? How much progress has been made since the Brown decision in 1954?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ideal Answer: The ideal answer should:
1. Explain that the desegregation of public education has led to an increase in black graduation rates, yet many black young men continue to drop out of high school at alarming rates. The lack of affirmative action in higher education has meant that less numbers of blacks attend university undergraduate education than in years previously.
2. Point out that inner city schools experience a major challenge from a lack of resources, a problem augmented by competition from charter schools.
3. Conclude that although social progress has been made since the Brown decision of 1954, schools remain segregated, resource allocation favors wealthy over poorer schools, and the Leave No Child Behind Act punishes low-performing schools. Because many black families are poor, policies that impact the poor also impact blacks disproportionately.