The overwhelming majority of U.S. school districts and states fail to provide resources black males need in order to close the graduation gap.
According to the Schott Foundation, during the 2007-08 academic year, only 47% of black males graduated from high school “on time” with their entering cohort.
The foundation reports that more than half of the 50 states have graduation rates below the national average, with New York’s being the lowest—just 25% for black males.
The report provides state-by state data and concludes that black male students are being set up to fail in school districts and states that don’t ensure access to high-quality early education, highly effective teachers, college-preparatory curricula and equitable instructional resources, as well as safe and educationally sound living and learning communities.
The report highlights the success of the Abbott plan in New Jersey, the only state with a significant black population to yield a high school graduation rate greater than 65% for black males.
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