Synopses & Reviews
The African American journey from slavery to racial equality and social justice in America has been, and continues to be, a long and arduous struggle. No barrier—whether embedded in law, rooted in social or economic custom, or enforced by racial terror—has ever been able to hold firm against the powerful and unwavering commitment of a determined, authentic black leadership. Yet there now exists an obstruction more subtle than past oppressions…and one that threatens to impede any future progress.
On almost every measure of academic performance—be it the SAT, ACT, or state-mandated examinations—African American student performance trails, by large margins, that of their white peers. In our public schools the average African American twelfth grader’s performance approximates that of the average white eighth grader. Not only do black students lag behind their white peers on academic tests, they also experience much higher college dropout rates and tend to shy away from majoring in mathematics and the hard sciences. And while this achievement gap was first identified long ago and has since been the subject of countless studies and surveys, little public outcry has erupted—and no truly concerted effort has been made to combat it.
Unlike segregation, slavery, and discrimination, all of which were imposed intentionally by a racist society, no one is forcing this barrier to exist—yet it persists. And it has become the greatest civil rights issue of our time.
In The Black–White Achievement Gap, renowned former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Elaine Witty provide a wake-up call to black leaders and communities, urging the kind of action that is essential if this blight on African American achievement is ever to be defeated. They trace the history of the achievement gap, discuss its relevance to racial equality and social justice, examine popular explanations, and offer strong suggestions for the type of committed leadership and community involvement that are needed to close it.
Is the achievement gap the fault of the educational system, and of schools themselves? Is a lack of drive and ambition on the part of African American students to blame? Does the gap result from unstable families and poor parenting skills? Or is it a consequence of heredity or environment? Some would argue that the cause of this academic disparity lies in poor choices of role models and negative peer pressure—the notion that diligent study is a way of “acting white.” Other factors confusing the issue are high levels of teen pregnancies, drugs, and crime in the black community.
One thing is certain. The achievement gap that now exists between black and white students has consequences both dramatic and far-reaching. It strengthens the stereotype that blacks are inferior. It slows down the accumulation of African American wealth. And it ultimately leads to more African Americans without health insurance, in prison, and dying early.
The Black–White Achievement Gap convincingly argues that closing this gap would do more to advance African Americans toward long-sought-after goals of racial equality and social justice in America than any other civil rights strategy available today. The time for complacency is over, and an era of accountability —on the part of leaders, families, and communities —must begin. This book is a rallying cry for every American eager to bridge the gap of inequality and move this country forward.
Rod Paige was the U.S. Secretary of Education from 2001 to 2005. He was Dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University for ten years. He served as the Superintendent of Houston Schools for eight years, and was named 2001 Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators. He lives in Houston.
Elaine Witty, Ed.D., served eighteen years as Dean of Education and nine years as Head of the Elementary Education Department at Norfolk State University. Prior to working in higher education, she taught in elementary, middle, and high school. She lives in Columbia, South Carolina.
Synopsis
In this thought-provoking work, former Secretary of Education Paige and co-author Witty trace the history of the achievement gap between blacks and whites, discuss its relevance to racial equality, and offer suggestions for leadership needed to close it.
Synopsis
Chosen by
The American School Board magazine as one of 2010's Top Education Reads.
Synopsis
Advance Praise for The Black–White Achievement Gap:
“Much of the African American’s journey from chattel slavery to today’s possibilities has been made possible through educational attainment. Focusing our attention on the education of today’s African American youth with the goal of closing the black–white achievement gap is an imperative for further African American advancement.” Dr. Dorothy I. Height, Chair & President Emerita, National Council of Negro Women
“In this hard-hitting and much-needed book, two of America’s foremost African American educators vividly make the case for closing the black–white achievement gap—and courageously show how the nation’s civil rights leaders have shunned this urgent challenge and thereby failed in their responsibilities.” Chester E. Finn, Jr., Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; and President, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
“An illuminating book that boldly defines the ‘black–white academic achievement gap’ as today’s major civil rights issue. The reader will be enlightened by a powerful debate that calls for a new kind of leadership. This instructive piece builds on the wisdom of great leaders while at the same time creating a breath of fresh air for those who dare to implement a new model and escape insanity…doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome!” —J.C. Watts, Jr., former U.S. Congressman; Chairman of J.C. Watts Companies
“This is a thought-provoking book on a subject that is crucially important, timely, and in need of immediate attention for the ultimate well-being of black America. Now that the problem of the achievement gap has been addressed in this book, it is incumbent upon educators and national leaders to accept the challenge and provide solutions that will remove barriers to achievement, and therefore produce African American scholars, particularly in mathematics and the sciences.” — Yvonne Kennedy, Ph.D., 19th National President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
“In large part, impersonal market forces reward the well educated and leave few meaningful opportunities for our children who receive a substandard education or fail to take advantage of educational opportunities. Secretary Paige and Dr. Witty have correctly identified education as one of the defining civil rights issues of the 21st century. For those looking for ideas to develop new, effective civil rights ideas for reducing racial disparities, this is a must-read.” — Gerald A. Reynolds, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights
Synopsis
When it comes to race in America, we must face one uncomfortable but undeniable fact. Almost 50 years after the birth of the civil rights movement, inequality still reigns supreme in our classrooms. At a time when African-American students trail their white peers on academic tests and experience high dropout rates, low college completion rates, and a tendency to shy away from majors in hard sciences and mathematics, the Black-White achievement gap in our schools has become the major barrier to racial equality and social justice in America. In fact, it is arguably the greatest civil rights issue of our time.
The Black-White Achievement Gap is a call to action for this country to face up to and confront this crisis head on. Renowned former Secretary of Education Rod Paige believes we can close this gap. In this thought-provoking book, he and Elaine Witty trace the history of the achievement gap, discuss its relevance to racial equality and social justice, examine popular explanations, and offer suggestions for the type of committed leadership and community involvement needed to close it. African-American leaders need to rally around this important cause if we are to make real progress since students’ academic performance is a function not only of school quality, but of home and community factors as well. The Black-White Achievement Gap is an unflinching and long overdue look at the very real problem of racial disparity in our schools and what we must do to solve it.
Synopsis
Chosen by The American School Board magazine as one of 2010's Top Education Reads.
About the Author
Rod Paige, PED (Houston, TX) was the U.S. Secretary of Education from 2001-2005. He served as the Superintendent of Houston Schools for 8 years and was Dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern for 10 years. He is currently the Chairman of the Chartwell Education Group, an international consultant firm.
Elaine Witty, Ed.D. (Columbia, SC) served 18 years as Dean of Education at Norfolk StateUniversity and is a noted educator.
Table of Contents
“In this clarion call, Paige, a former secretary of education (2001–2005) and his sister, a noted educator, pursue two threads of thought: the quest for authentic African-American leadership and the black-white achievement gap....Their last chapter, 'The Way Forward: A Call to Service,' concludes with a useful, thought-provoking list of suggestions.” --Publishers Weekly
“Providing a wealth of level-headed insights on the phenomena levied as responsible for the achievement gap… The Black–White Achievement Gap does not enter into the fray of this contentious debate. Instead, it sounds a clarion call to today’s leaders of all races to put the nation’s children before party politics and confront head-on this towering obstacle to social justice, rightly considered, in light of the devastating consequences of academic underachievement, ‘the greatest civil rights issue of our time.’” --ForeWord Reviews