City plans to improve black students' performance

Initiative targets test scores of African-American children

By JEFF GILL
The Times

Elfreda McRae recalls when she saw the racial breakdown of standardized test scores.

"It was very appalling," said the former Enota Elementary principal who takes over as New Holland Elementary principal next year. "Everybody was shocked to see the African-American children scoring so low."

To close a wide gap in test scores between the city's white and black children, Gainesville City Schools has started an effort known as the "African-American Initiative."

The system's objectives are to strengthen the awareness of African-American culture and its impact on academic achievement and to foster positive and lifelong relationships among the school, home and community.

It also aims to raise the test scores of 90 percent of black students who are performing below grade level in reading/language arts to the 50th percentile on state tests over three years.

"It's not going to be easy," McRae said. "We won't be able to do it overnight."

The city began investigating test scores in the spring, after a concerned group of black teachers, active and retired, approached Superintendent Steven Ballowe, said Assistant Superintendent Shirley Whitaker.

A committee of school personnel, including teachers, was formed. The group presented its findings and recommendations in August to the City Board of Education.

"Our African-American population is scoring disproportionately low," according to its report.

As of 2001-02, the system had 4,238 students. About 26 percent are white, 25 percent are black, 45 percent are Latino and 4 percent comprise other ethnic groups.

"African-American students are underrepresented in gifted, honors and advanced-placement level courses. Decreasing numbers of African-American students are taking the (Scholastic Assessment Test) necessary to enter college," the report said.

Whites typically score much higher than Latinos and blacks, test results show. And in many cases, Latinos score higher than blacks.

The added frustration is that blacks don't have the language barrier that many Latinos do, Whitaker said. "(Blacks) should be scoring or achieving much higher than they are."

She said Latino families often "feel such a terrible need to learn to live here ... that their parents may push (their children) to do more in school."

McRae added: "The (school) system has put a lot of emphasis on working with Hispanic children ... Anytime you put emphasis on something, hopefully it's going to improve.

"Now we're going to put emphasis on black children."

Some of the planned activities and strategies:

 

  • Staff development, including training for teachers to identify different learning styles, cultural sensitivity and workshops that address African-American culture.

     

  • Visiting every black student's family at home, as possible. Currently, the system has such a program for newcomers to the system.

     

  • Involve churches in organizing a community campaign to encourage more black participation in PTA. "Once parents are involved, the children are definitely going to achieve," McRae said. "That's a given."

     

  • Schools will recruit blacks to serve as volunteers, especially in the areas of mentoring and tutoring.

    The initiative will involve some costs, such as for staff development. But McRae and Whitaker said the system has joined with Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College in Atlanta in trying to obtain grants.

    McRae said the initiative has drawn some excitement from the black community.

    "They are encouraged, but they want to see some results," she said.

    Nathaniel Shelton, the school system social worker, said the initiative is "really much needed."

    "We need to look at services for Hispanics ... but blacks have been here all the time and no special effort has been put forth to maximize their achievement."

    Doris Evans, a retired teacher with 37 years' experience in the city system, said she believes the best thing about the effort might be simply "calling attention to the fact that there's a need."

    Awareness may help boost academic achievement, she said.

    "The good thing is there's a plan for ongoing observation, planning and evaluating," Evans said. "It's not going away."

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    Test scores

    Here's an example of scores that Gainesville City Schools cites in its effort to improve the academic achievement of black students:

    Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, fourth grade, 2000-01

  • Blacks: 39 percent not meeting expectations, reading; 41 percent not meeting expectations, English/language arts; and 59 percent not meeting expectations, math

     

  • Hispanics: 48 percent not meeting expectations, reading; 42 percent not meeting expectations, English/language arts; and 55 percent not meeting expectations, math

     

  • White/non-Hispanic: 7 percent not meeting expectations, reading; 5 percent not meeting expectations, English/language arts; and 15 percent not meeting expectations, math

    Source: Gainesville City Schools

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