Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Report Card on America's Schools
A new report states that many of America’s children cannot read or do math at grade level. The Children’s Defense Fund report is called, "The State of America’s Children” is not available.
About two-thirds of America’s public school 4th graders cannot read at grade level; and 6 out of 10 cannot do math at grade level. More than 80 percent of Black and Hispanic 4th graders in public school cannot read at grade level, compared with 58 percent of their White peers. Eighty-five percent of Black 4th graders in public school cannot do math at grade level, compared to 78 percent of Hispanic children and about half of White children.
The statistics are even worse for public school’s 8th graders. Seven out of ten cannot read or do math at grade level. More than four out of five Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native 8th graders cannot read or do math at grade level, compared to three out of five of their White peers. Three out of five Asian/Pacific Islander 8th graders cannot read at grade level; one in two cannot do math at grade level.
The CDF report finds that although three out of four 9th graders graduate from high school in four years with a regular diploma, there is great variation among the states. The graduation rates range from a low of five out of nine in Nevada, to a high of seven out of eight in Wisconsin. Expenditures per public school pupil also vary, from $5,216 in Utah to $14,117 in New Jersey.
The report also finds that race plays a part in how American students are treated in school. Black, Hispanic and American Indian students are more likely than Asian or White students to be suspended. Black students are more than three times as likely as White or Asian/Pacific Islander students and more than twice as likely as Hispanic students to be suspended. The report also notes that this kind of racial profiling and some school policies can lead to high drop out rates. According to the CDF report, policies focused not on achievement but on "zero tolerance" often succeed only in encouraging suspended students to drop out, in effect pushing many into criminal activity and the pipeline to prison.
Race also plays a role in targeting certain students for special classes. Black and American Indian students are more likely than those in other racial groups to be enrolled in classes for students with mental retardation. Black children are more than twice as likely as White or Hispanic children to be in these classes, and more than three times as likely as Asian/Pacific Islander children to be in these classes.
Black and American Indian children are more likely than those in other racial groups to be enrolled in classes for students with emotional disturbance. Black children are more than three times as likely as Hispanic children to be in these classes, and more than seven times as likely as Asian/Pacific Islander children to be in these classes.
The report finds a high rate of learning disabilities–about 1 in 20 public school students is in a class for students with learning disabilities. Black and American Indian children are the most likely to be in these classes.
Sometimes programs that can help children are not taken advantage of for various reasons. Only about 3 percent of eligible infants and young children are enrolled in the Early Head Start program. About 900,000 children are enrolled in Head Start programs, about 800,000 in state programs, and another 100,000 in migrant and Indian tribal programs and in the territories. Only about one-half to two-thirds of children eligible for Head Start are enrolled.
Twenty states have no state-funded prekindergarten programs for 3-year-olds; eight states have no programs for 4-year-olds. Yet research has shown that early childhood programs significantly increase a child's chances of avoiding the prison pipeline, instead helping give him a head start and put him in the "pipeline to success."
Kiley Law Group, located in Boston and Andover, Massachusetts takes time when speaking with you about your case and works with you on a contingent basis so there are NO FEES unless our trained Boston child injury attorneys wins your case. Call now for a FREE evaluation of your case – 1-888-208-1695.
