SCOTUSBlog Examines Brown v. Board of Education

I came across this on one of the blogs on Edweek.

SCOTUSBlog Examines Brown v. Board of Education

By Mark Walsh on February 12, 2010 2:46 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

As part of its "Race and the Court" program during Black History Month,SCOTUSBlog next week has a slate of podcasts and articles examining the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case striking down racial segregation in the schools.

The blog's goal with the program is "to reflect on the lasting impact the Supreme Court has had on race, both in law and in American society."

The lineup, scheduled for Feb. 15-19, is as follows:

Podcast: "The Unexpected Consequences of Brown v. Board of Education on African American Schools and Education in the South"
-David Cecelski, historian and author of Along Freedom Road: Hyde County, North Carolina, and the Fate of Black Schools in the South

Podcast on Brown v. Board of Education
-Nina Totenberg, legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio

"The Global Impact of Brown v. Board of Education"
-Mary Dudziak, professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and founder of the Legal History Blog

"What Can Brown Do For You?: The Court's Struggle Over the Meaning of Equal Protection"
-Pamela Karlan, professor at Stanford Law School

Podcast: Interview on Brown v. Board of Education and subsequent litigation over black civil rights
-Jack Greenberg, professor at Columbia Law School and former director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

Podcast: The separate and unequal schools resulting from the Supreme Court's decisions
-Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law

SCOTUSBlog Examines Brown v. Board of Education

Does failing an AP exam benefit students?

The number of high school students taking an AP exam before they graduate is increasing. Last May's graduating class had twice as many students take an AP exam as the 2001 class did. However, the number of students failing is increasing as well (from 39 percent to 43 percent). In a report released by the College Board, they note that there are more 1s and 2s (failing grades) scored on the exams, but that the number of 3s, 4s and 5s (scores that would earn a student college credit) has increased so much so that it outweighs the increase in the failing scores.

The report also noted that the share who took at least one AP exam last year was a third larger than it was for the class of 2004, while the share who got a passing grade was only a quarter higher than in the class of 2004.  The College Board recognized the gap and said that students who got a 2 or higher were more likely to earn a bachelor's degree in 4 years than other students.


Are there any benefits for students who take an AP exam but do not receive a passing grade? Are students who are exposed to college-level work benefiting even if they fail their AP exam? If not, should educators take steps to ensure that students that will not pass do not take the exam? Could failing have an negative influence on the student? Will they think that they are not prepared for college or not doing college level work in that area and stop trying?

Many schools are increasing the number of AP courses that they offer so their students have a more rigorous curriculum and are more appealing to colleges. But in light of the increase in the percentage of students failing exams, should schools do more than just offer AP courses? Should they also make sure that teachers are delivering the material properly and that students who are enrolling in the courses are capable of doing well?

However, if it is true that students are benefiting no matter the score then I believe that schools need to start offering these courses to students who would not normally take them. AP courses are normally offered in higher SES schools and to middle and upper class students. The report mentions that schools have increased access to AP courses among traditionally underserved students and there is a table that shows the demographics of test takers is comparable to that of the nation. There is also a table in the appendix that shows the test score breakdown by test subject and race. I am eager to go over this data to see the differences in passing rate by race.

Does failing an AP exam benefit students?

Early College

Early College High Schools allow students to get their high school degree and their two-year Associates degree in five years. High schools partner with local community colleges to create these five year programs which are offered to students at no cost. In the past, students who took community college courses while they were in high school wanted either the extra edge in the college application process or a few extra credits before attending a four-year institution. However, Early Colleges target students who would traditionally not go on to college or even complete high school.

Early Colleges The NYTimes has recently published an article about Early Colleges. The article says that Early Colleges may be a good way to help at risk students. While the schools have not been open long enough to effectively analyze the benefits of the extra costs, there are some positive highlights which include a high graduation rate. The article states:

"A recent report from Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit group that is coordinating the Gates initiative, found that in 2008, the early-college schools that had been open for more than four years had a high school graduation rate of 92 percent — and 4 out of 10 graduates had earned at least a year of college credit.
With a careful sequence of courses, including ninth-grade algebra, and attention to skills like note-taking, the early-college high schools accelerate students so that they arrive in college needing less of the remedial work that stalls so many low-income and first-generation students."

While these results are impressive, the article does not address how students are applying to these Early Colleges and the demographics of the districts and schools. I am curious to see if the demographics of the schools reflect the target population or if Early Colleges are just "creaming" from the districts top performers. Are students who are graduating with at least a year of college credit the same students that would have done so without the assistance of the Early College? If this is the case, what are districts gaining from the extra costs to the schools? 

Early College

Lower Standards for High School Diploma

Sounds wrong? That's probably because most people talk about improving standards to increase success at the college level. Many students are entering colleges unprepared, and yet some states are lowering their standards for a high school diploma? Education is supposed to improve the position of the United States in the global economy and also improve the socioeconomic status of individuals. If standards are lowered, doesn't that mean that the United States will be taking a step back in the global marketplace and that the individuals in these states will not fare as well as the rest of the country?

States Lower Test Standards for a High School Diploma

An article in the NYTimes this week states that Pennsylvania adopted a new state law that is supposed to ensure that students are graduating high school prepared for college, but many say that the law is watering down the requirements.

The rules in Pennsylvania require students to pass at least four courses, with the end-of-course exams counting for a third of the course grade. If students fail an exam or a section of an exam, they will have two chances to retake it. If they cannot pass after that, they have the option of doing a subject-specific project that is approved by district officials.

Theoretically, a student would be able to graduate from high school without having mastered the required curriculum. I am not sure how that prepares students for college. You are not allowed to retake certain parts of finals that you fail in college. So why would doing so in high school prepare you for college?

The new system in Pennsylvania is not the only one receiving criticism. Other states, like NJ, NY, Texas, Arkansas, and Massachusetts, are being criticized as well. States have eliminated parts of the test so that students would be able to pass at higher rates. If you ask me, these new tests are not preparing more students for college, they are just ensuring that more students complete high school by watering down exams. This will do nothing but put these students at a disadvantage to their peers.

Lower Standards for High School Diploma

Education Week: Obama Unveils Projects to Bolster STEM Teaching

via Education Week: Obama Unveils Projects to Bolster STEM Teaching.

This article is very interesting. As someone who works at a national non-profit in the STEM education field, I am happy to see that the President has announced that there will be more that $250 million (more than double the amount that Obama announced in November) in private investments to help attract and prepare new teachers for STEM. The money will also help to improve instruction in STEM by teachers that are already practicing.

The article notes that the government can not address the STEM problem alone. Therefore, a partnership between the federal government, companies, foundations, nonprofit groups and science and engineering societies will work with young people across the United States to excel in STEM. However, I think that the partnership should include other entities such as post secondary institutions (both two-year and four-year colleges) with science and engineering programs. These schools prepare students for careers in engineering and would know what is needed for them to succeed at the post secondary level.

In addition, education graduate schools would also be able to further assist in developing adequate professional development of teachers in the STEM areas.

I would also like to see more involvement from the multicultural STEM nonprofits and foundations. As the demographics of the country continue to change and Latinos become a dominant portion of the population, it is important that education to workforce development program include and reach out to all cultures.

Education Week: Obama Unveils Projects to Bolster STEM Teaching