By Nikki Roberts
Online Writer
Graphics by Anastasia Bicolli
District 204 held its bi-monthly school board meeting Jan. 11, where African American parent group, Waubonsie Parents Advocating for the Greater Enrichment of Students (PAGES), took the floor to voice their complaints concerning the district’s evident achievement gap between African American students and their peers to both school administrators and the public audience.
According to its website, Waubonsie PAGES describes itself as “a newly formed parent group at Waubonsie Valley. PAGES was established to help close the achievement gap and advocate for the needs of the African American students at Waubonsie Valley.” This past Monday, PAGES advocated for far more than just a handful of students at Waubonsie Valley.
Parent representatives, along with the group’s president, spoke at the school board meeting, demanding a solution to the increasing achievement gap across all District 204 schools. Their concerns were prompted by the release of PARCC test scores this past December, which demonstrated a rapidly growing achievement gap between African American and white students.
“I have been an Indian Prairie School District parent for at least the last 15 years. As I reviewed the District 204 2015 school report card, I found myself shaking my head, and I asked myself five questions. How, in 2015, is educational gap between African American students and white students growing? What happened to No Child Left Behind? What is going on with closing the achievement gap? What is the district doing to address No Child Left Behind and closing the achievement gap, and finally, what can I do,” Metea Valley parent Rev. Marilyn Barne, who plans to start a group similar to PAGES at Metea, said.
Barnes’ questions and concerns were consistent with her fellow members of PAGES, who also shared their disappointments, ideas, and goals with the school board. Their disapproval was not simply surrounding the lack of transparency in high school educational procedures; it encompassed education as early as elementary school. A few of the demands the troubled parents made included programs specifically aimed at minimizing the education gap with measurable, achievable goals, and a system that allows for both parents and students to be involved in the process. Along with their burdens, the group brought innovative solutions to the table as well. Solutions such as diversity training, collaborating with successful school districts, and greater parent involvement were suggested by many of the speakers.
District 204 aimed for a two to five percent decrease in the racial achievement gap. However, the recent administration of PARCC tests actually display a significant increase, as seen in the 2015 District 204 report card. While 54 percent of white students met or exceeded the PARCC’s ELA/Literacy readiness standards, only 31 percent of black students met or exceeded this standard. When comparing the gap in mathematics, 51 percent of white students met the standard, one percent of white students exceeded it, and 35 percent of black students met the standard, but not a single black student exceeded the standard.
Rohin Bhasin • Jan 21, 2016 at 7:10 pm
This comment is primarily a reply to Matt’s prior comment.
For starters, Matt, please don’t generalize. It is never as simple as that sole influencing factor of who works harder. If I took two students of completely different background, who have put in identical hours of work into preparing for the PARCC, there is a very small chance that their scores too will be identical. There are various factors at play here:
1. Reading background (students who have read more growing up, will be able to read and comprehend things faster in the future, such skills cannot necessarily be learned in a quick time period, it’s a skill that is developed over the course of many years).
2. Math background – again, a student cannot necessarily teach themselves geometry or advanced algebra concepts in a month or even 2 prior to a test. If the students didn’t have the background present to answer certain questions.
3. Disadvantaged Opportunities: Contrary to what you may believe, there are disadvantages present in many African American families. By no means am I suggesting that an African American person is inherently disadvantaged, but rather explaining that statistically, there is a greater chance for lack of opportunity in African American families as compared to white (or other races) families. Hence why Affirmative Action is present in various colleges, scholarships, programs, and jobs. The government isn’t completely pointlessly initiating these programs within institutions. They are smarter than that.
How can such an opportunity gap affect a score? Well, whilst a certain child might be able to go tutor with his teacher after school, whereas a different child has parents that work and has no way of getting home after school. The first child may be able to afford professional standardized testing tutoring, whilst the second child may be able to buy a 10 dollar book from Amazon.
I’m not suggesting hard work isn’t a factor that influences success; of course it is. But, by no means is it the only factor, and that “people who choose to not work hard, don’t do well” I’ve seen COUNTLESS times (almost weekly, in fact) people study for about 15 to 20 minutes for a test, versus someone studying for 4-5 hours for the same test. Yet, the first student will score significantly higher. Never has it ever been that hard work and effort are the only representations of success, and never will it ever be that way.
Our society continues to function on the belief that you have to show that you understand content well in order to succeed, but the path to understanding that content is a lot easier for some people, harder for some, and in many cases people are lacking the opportunities to even begin to learn.
Kieran Kaempen • Feb 10, 2016 at 2:12 pm
A+
Chris Peters (GO PATS) • Jan 21, 2016 at 2:24 pm
People need to observe the students in class to find the real reason behind the gap in scores.
Killian • Jan 21, 2016 at 12:23 pm
Perhaps, now this is just my theory, since teachers don’t seem to be getting the class quiet or taking control of teenager chaos, that is why certain students are lacking. It just happens to be African-Americans who are the most effected.
Dr. Phil • Jan 20, 2016 at 12:15 pm
It’s quite pathetic and sad to see that parents are blaming the school district and teachers for their son’s or daughter’s bad test scores. Everybody is responsible for their own education. Everybody has the opportunity for an equal education. It’s only the fact that many students don’t take that opportunity. If anybody, those pathetic parents should be blaming themselves for not pushing their students to do their best in school.
AyYiYi • Jan 25, 2016 at 12:36 pm
As a whole, this isn’t about complaining parents. This is about the achievement gap growing between races in this district. This is not about 5 people, or 50 people. This is 5-10,000+ students, with an extremely disturbing correlation between test scores and race. Can we assign blame to the parents when obviously it is impossible that all of these parents have the same attitude to their children, and to the school? No. What we should focus on is racial bias in the tests themselves, and educating everyone–and that means everyone–to take these tests, take them seriously, and teach them so they can take them well. That way, we not only lower an achievement gap, but let the scores rise as a district.
David Zorn • Jan 20, 2016 at 8:08 am
I find this conversation shall and pedantic;) Hillary Clinton has givin’ me a vision for the future of AMERICA
Nik Ballard • Jan 20, 2016 at 7:51 am
Elijah I like when you call me trump
anonymous • Jan 19, 2016 at 3:29 pm
This gap concerns me, however I do not agree with the fact that people blame the district. The students who choose to put effort into their school work and work extra hard to earn great grades are the ones who succeed. The students who put in little or no effort do not succeed. It’s the truth. It’s a fact, and you cannot change that. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that white students work hard and black students don’t. That would be racist. Yes, I do think young black students may need some motivation in their early years, but they should not be given a privilege, like easier or less schoolwork. Nowadays with the liberal media brainwashing people, everyone will take statistics like this too far, and they’ll start Black Lives Matter organizations and a bunch of groups of whiny liberals complaining to the government about their life problems. Now I get it. Someone’s probably either be offended by this comment or give me a huge lecture on how they think I’m a racist. In America, white people are not given privileges, and black people are not oppressed politically or economically. Besides, why are these statistics only taken from white and black students? Why can’t they be taken from all races-whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Arabs, etc? Why are we leaving those races out of this? This comment is not meant to be offensive. It’s meant to give people a little bit of information before they start whining to the district or the government.
Anonymous #2 • Jan 21, 2016 at 9:13 pm
I do agree with you that those who put in more effort will succeed. However, this article never said that black students would be given special privileges such as easier or less schoolwork. The parents simply want to organize programs that could help put struggling students in a better mindset to help them succeed. Also, there is nothing wrong with the Black Lives Matter campaigns. With all of the police brutality going on with unarmed black teens, it is completely necessary to protest and speak out against these unjust actions. For centuries Black lives haven’t mattered in the American society, so please don’t hate on the fact that black people are using their voice and want to see a change.
anonymous • Jan 30, 2016 at 4:11 pm
A few months back, BLM activists burned the French flag and started a campaign called F Paris. The police brutality with black teens is a myth. The police have no choice to defend themselves. It’s for self-defense. Many police officers have chosen not to defend themselves, afraid of getting called racist, and they end up getting killed. Besides, 94% of blacks are murdered by other blacks. Black people in America are not oppressed politically or economically. And if you call me a racist, argue and say they are, then what right do white, Asian, and Hispanic people have that black people don’t? You see all of these college social justice warriors, BLM activists, etc., but if you go up to one of them and ask what they want, I bet they’ll have no answer.
Matt Fitzgerald • Jan 19, 2016 at 12:53 pm
The reason the gap is increasing is because students who choose to work hard score well, while students who choose not to work hard don’t do well. It is the way that society has worked and will continue to work.
its just a prank bro • Jan 26, 2016 at 2:11 pm
thats racist.
Harrison Tsimouris. • Jan 19, 2016 at 8:51 am
It’s always the teacher’s fault, isn’t it? People nowadays can never take the blame so they blame it on the district. How about instead of complaining about score gaps, they change their mindset about education. When all you do is disrespect teachers, the school, and everyone that works there you will not achieve to your highest potential.
Danny McGarel • Jan 19, 2016 at 11:12 am
I agree, but who ever said anything about disrespect? These weren’t results about students who disrespect people. These were results about different races my friend. You can’t just assume that a race is more disrespectful to others. However, I do believe that the test really cannot change to help any race, I don’t know what the PAGES people were even advocating for. I just think barely anyone cared about the test and that is why most people did not meet the expectations, and few actually tried. Coincidentally, more white people tried than black. Check your logic for fallacies.
Anthony W. • Jan 19, 2016 at 11:20 am
Good point but its not everyone who’s like that. Lots of people have respect for their teachers. For the most part, people depend on their own pride and don’t ask questions in class when they’re confused. They want to figure things out on their own, making themselves fall behind on comprehension.