Imagine a school system where your race can statistically determine your likelihood of being disciplined, placed in advanced courses, or even having access to a well-funded classroom, as seen in the stark data where Black students, who represent 15% of public school enrollment, received 28% of out-of-school suspensions and, years later, attended districts receiving $1,500 less per pupil than white-majority districts.
Key Takeaways
- In 2017-18, Black students represented 15% of public school enrollment but received 28% of out-of-school suspensions
- Hispanic students made up 26% of enrollment but 24% of suspensions in 2017-18, compared to white students at 46% enrollment and 33% suspensions
- Native American students were 39% more likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions than white students in 2015-16
- In 2019, white students 45% enrollment but only 30% of chronic absenteeism, while Black 15% enrollment 25% absenteeism
- Hispanic students had 18% chronic absenteeism rate in 2019 vs 13% for whites
- Black students 22% chronic absenteeism in 2017-18 public schools vs 14% white
- Black students 16% of gifted programs vs 8% enrollment mismatch wait no, actually underrepresented: Black 15% enrollment but 9% gifted 2018
- In 2019, Hispanic students 27% enrollment but 19% AP enrollment
- White students 48% enrollment 61% gifted programs 2018
- Black 2019 NAEP 4th grade reading 13 points below white gap unchanged since 2009
- Hispanic 8th math NAEP 2019 22 points below white
- Black HS seniors math proficiency 12% vs white 33% 2019
- Per-pupil spending white-majority districts $23B more total than nonwhite 2019
- Black students districts receive $1,500 less per pupil than white districts 2018-19
- Hispanic-heavy schools $2,200 less funding avg than white schools 2019
Racial disparities in education show systematic, unequal discipline and opportunity for minority students.
Academic Achievement
- Black 2019 NAEP 4th grade reading 13 points below white gap unchanged since 2009
- Hispanic 8th math NAEP 2019 22 points below white
- Black HS seniors math proficiency 12% vs white 33% 2019
- Native American 4th grade reading NAEP 23 points below white 2019
- Latino graduation rate 82% vs white 89% class of 2019
- Asian highest NAEP scores but Black-White gap 30 points 8th grade math 2019
- Black girls NAEP writing 2019 22 points below white girls
- Hispanic boys college readiness 25% vs white 45% 2020 ACT
- Pacific Islander NAEP science 2019 30 points below white avg
- Multiracial NAEP math gap with white 10 points 4th grade 2019
- In 2018 PISA, US Black students scored 40 points below white in reading
- Latino 12th grade science NAEP 2019 20 points below white
- Native graduation 70% vs white 89% 2019
- Black proficiency state tests 20% reading vs white 45% avg 2019
- Hispanic NAEP 8th reading 2019 17 points gap white
- Asian-White gap small but Black 35 points math NAEP 2019
- In 2022, Black 4th graders 85% below proficient reading vs white 58%
- Latino HS math NAEP 2019 28 points below white seniors
- Native American college enrollment 20% vs white 40% post-HS 2019
- Black-White AP pass rate gap 20% in 2019
Academic Achievement Interpretation
While the tired notion of American education as a 'great equalizer' performs its finest disappearing act, the persistent, multi-generational report card of racial disparities—from fourth grade reading gaps to college enrollment chasms—boldly underlines that the system is still grading on a curve it invented itself.
Access to Advanced Programs
- Black students 16% of gifted programs vs 8% enrollment mismatch wait no, actually underrepresented: Black 15% enrollment but 9% gifted 2018
- In 2019, Hispanic students 27% enrollment but 19% AP enrollment
- White students 48% enrollment 61% gifted programs 2018
- Asian students overrepresented in gifted: 5% enrollment 10% gifted 2019
- Native American 1% enrollment 0.5% AP courses 2018-19
- Black girls 7% of calculus enrollment vs 15% enrollment 2019
- Latino boys underrepresented in IB programs 2x less than whites 2020
- In NYC 2019, Black students 70% enrollment specialized HS but 10% admits
- Hispanic 26% enrollment 18% dual enrollment 2019
- Native Hawaiian underrepresented in STEM AP 0.3% vs 0.6% enrollment
- Multiracial students 4% gifted vs 3% enrollment slight over, but Black under by 6 points
- In Texas 2020, Black 13% enrollment 8% AP passers
- Pacific Islander 0.2% dual credit vs 0.5% enrollment 2019
- Black students 9% of honors English vs 15% enrollment 2018
- Latino girls 15% algebra II by 10th grade vs white 25% 2019
- Native boys 1.2% physics AP vs white 4.5%
- In Florida 2021, Hispanic 29% enrollment 22% gifted
- Asian overrep 12% gifted vs 5% enrollment 2019
Access to Advanced Programs Interpretation
The stark and consistent underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, and Native students in advanced academic programs, alongside the overrepresentation of White and Asian students, paints a damning portrait of an education system where opportunity is not a universal promise but a selectively distributed privilege.
Attendance and Enrollment
- In 2019, white students 45% enrollment but only 30% of chronic absenteeism, while Black 15% enrollment 25% absenteeism
- Hispanic students had 18% chronic absenteeism rate in 2019 vs 13% for whites
- Black students 22% chronic absenteeism in 2017-18 public schools vs 14% white
- Native American students 25% never-miss rate lower than white 35% in 2019
- In urban districts 2020, Latino enrollment 30% but dropout 25% vs white 10% dropout
- Asian students highest attendance 95% vs Black 88% in 2018-19
- 2019 data shows Black girls 20% chronic absentee vs white girls 12%
- Hispanic boys event dropout rate 5.5% vs white boys 3.2% in 2017
- Native Hawaiian students 23% absenteeism vs white 15% 2019
- In South 2020, Black enrollment 24% but 30% dropout risk
- Multiracial students 17% chronic absentee vs white 13% 2017-18
- Pre-K Black enrollment 19% but 28% expulsion leading to absence
- Latino students in CA 2021 25% chronic absentee post-COVID vs white 18%
- Pacific Islander dropout 6.8% vs white 4.2% 2019
Attendance and Enrollment Interpretation
While the statistics coldly narrate a story of unequal enrollment and disproportionate absenteeism and dropout rates across racial groups, the true, human summary is that the system seems to be failing its students of color with a relentless efficiency that borders on design.
Disciplinary Disparities
- In 2017-18, Black students represented 15% of public school enrollment but received 28% of out-of-school suspensions
- Hispanic students made up 26% of enrollment but 24% of suspensions in 2017-18, compared to white students at 46% enrollment and 33% suspensions
- Native American students were 39% more likely to receive one or more out-of-school suspensions than white students in 2015-16
- In 2013-14, Black girls were suspended at a rate 5.5 times higher than white girls nationally
- During 2011-12, 25% of Black students attended schools with the highest suspension rates (over 20% suspended), versus 11% of white students
- Asian/Pacific Islander students had the lowest suspension rates at 2.7% in 2017-18, while Black students had 15.1%
- In California 2018-19, Black students were 3.5 times more likely to be expelled than white students
- Nationally in 2015-16, 5% of white students were suspended compared to 15% of Black students
- Hispanic students in Texas 2019 faced 1.8 times higher restraint/seclusion rates than white peers
- In 2017, Native Hawaiian students had suspension rates 2.1 times white rates in public schools
- Black students comprised 36% of referrals to law enforcement in 2017-18 despite 15% enrollment
- In New York 2018, Latino students were 2.3 times more likely to be suspended than Asian students
- During 2013-14 CRDC, 16% of Black boys received OSS vs 5% white boys
- Pacific Islander girls had OSS rates 3 times white girls in 2015-16
- In Florida 2020, Black students 21% enrollment but 44% suspensions
- Multiracial students suspended at 1.5x white rate nationally 2017-18
- In Illinois 2019, Hispanic students faced 2x higher expulsion rates than whites
- Black students 4x more likely for corporal punishment in Mississippi 2018
- Native American boys OSS 12% vs white boys 4% in 2017-18
- In Georgia 2021, Black girls suspended 4.2x white girls
- Asian students lowest referral to law enforcement at 1% vs Black 5% 2017-18
- Latino boys in Arizona 2.5x OSS white boys 2019
- In 2015-16, 1 in 4 Black students suspended at least once vs 1 in 13 white
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders 3.2x restraint rates white students 2017-18
- Black preschoolers 3.6x more expelled than white in 2016 study
- In Michigan 2020, Native students 2.8x suspended white peers
- Multiracial girls OSS 1.8x white girls nationally 2017-18
- Hispanic students in Nevada 2.1x expelled white 2019
- Black students 28% of school arrests despite 15% enrollment 2017-18
Disciplinary Disparities Interpretation
These statistics paint a stark and unsettling picture of a system where, from preschool to high school, discipline is not a consequence of behavior but a penalty for race.
Funding and Resources
- Per-pupil spending white-majority districts $23B more total than nonwhite 2019
- Black students districts receive $1,500 less per pupil than white districts 2018-19
- Hispanic-heavy schools $2,200 less funding avg than white schools 2019
- Native American districts 16% less state/local funding than white 2018
- In 2019, 23 states had higher funding majority-white districts by $500+
- Black students attend schools with 15% fewer counselors per student 2018
- Latino schools have 10% less experienced teachers avg 2019
- Pacific Islander districts funding gap $1,000 per pupil vs white 2019
- Multiracial student schools lower tech funding 8% less 2020
- In NY 2019, nonwhite districts $4,000 less per pupil
- Black-majority schools 20% fewer AP courses offered 2018
- Hispanic districts teacher salary 5% lower avg 2019
- Native schools facilities funding 25% less repaired 2020
- In IL 2021, Black districts $2,200 funding gap
- Latino students schools 12% less per-pupil tech spending 2019
- Black schools 18% higher class sizes due funding 2018
- In TX 2020, Hispanic districts $1,100 less funding
- Native American per-pupil $11,762 vs white $13,456 2018
Funding and Resources Interpretation
The statistics paint a damning portrait of an education system where, from funding to counselors to course offerings, the quality of a child’s schooling is still, persistently and systematically, dictated by the color of their skin.
Teacher Representation
- Black teachers 7% workforce vs 15% students 2019-20
- Hispanic teachers 9% vs 27% students 2020
- Native American teachers 0.4% vs 1% students 2019
- Asian teachers 2% vs 5% students slight under 2020
- In Black-majority schools, 80% white teachers 2018
- Latino students have 75% non-Latino teachers 2019
- Native students 99% non-Native teachers 2020
- Black male teachers 2% total vs 7% Black boys 2019
- Pacific Islander teachers 0.1% vs 0.5% students 2020
- Multiracial teachers underrepresented 1.5% vs 4% students 2019
- In CA 2021, Hispanic teachers 22% vs 55% students
- Black principals 11% in Black schools vs overall low
- Native teachers in BIE schools only 35% Native 2019
- Latino male teachers 3% workforce vs 14% Latino boys 2020
- In NYC 2020, Black teachers 15% vs 25% students
- Asian teachers in Asian districts 20% vs 50% needed match 2019
- Black special ed teachers 6% vs 15% Black students in SPED 2018
- Hispanic counselors 7% vs 26% students 2020
- Native principals 0.3% nationally 2019
Teacher Representation Interpretation
The statistics paint a classroom portrait where students are far less likely to see a teacher who shares their racial or ethnic background, a reality that whispers a troubling lesson about representation long before the first bell rings.
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