Quote:
During the school day, black students gather with teachers in meetings that are often laced with frank discussions about such topics as race, culture, relationships and negative media stereotypes of blacks. About 315 blacks attend the 4,200-student Cleveland High. Participation in the Village is not mandatory, but most black students attend. White, Latino and Asian students are not invited.
Critics -- including some parents and teachers -- have called the approach divisive and stigmatizing. They also say it fuels segregation on campuses that are often already racially inflamed. When Pasadena High School recently tried to replicate a Village assembly, some students and parents were caught off guard and complained that blacks were being unfairly reprimanded for the same issues that confront other racial groups.
Those views, however, have been tempered by impressive gains in test scores, reductions in dropout rates and improved behavior among Cleveland's black students. Scores on the Academic Performance Index jumped 95 points in two years, from 569 in 2003 to 664 in 2005, according to the California Department of Education. The districtwide average among all students in 2005 was 649, department statistics show.
In 2003, 36 percent of black students at Cleveland passed the math portion of the California High School Exit Exam. The figure rose to 81 percent in 2006.
Although Cleveland has shown gains throughout its student body in recent years, those by black students have been greater than those in other groups. Educators at Cleveland, backed by district officials, said they believe that the Village played a large role in those gains.
Fueled by these achievements, Cleveland was recognized in 2005 as a California Distinguished School, the first comprehensive high school in L.A. Unified to receive the award.
Contra Costa Times
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I think this is an interesting topic of discussion. On the one side, I am very disturbed that they are separating students based on their race. Blacks fought for decades to integrate our schools and now the Los Angeles City School District is segregating them.
On the flip side, it seems to have helped. The cognative test scores have greatly improved among the black students enrolled in this segregation program, however, at what social consequence?
Furthermore, if this new type of instructing is working why aren't all students getting access to it instead of just the black ones. The article clearly stated, "White, Latino and Asian students are not invited." I think we all know if this was white only there would be hell to pay. Why is a group of students receiving what would appear to be a better education because of their race.
09-12-2006
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