Breaking Barriers 2: Plotting the Path Away From Juvenile Detention and Toward Academic Success for School-Age African American Males

A follow-up to Breaking Barriers, this report focuses on black male's overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system as a barrier to their academic success. Results from five studies reveal behaviors and conditions associated with reducing delinquency that lead to a number of policy implications

Eliminating Excessive and Unfair Exclusionary Discipline in Schools Policy Recommendations for Reducing Disparities

All schools must be safe places for all members of the learning community. Schools have the right and indeed the responsibility to develop safe school climates to protect the safety of students and teachers, as well as the integrity of learning Yet the data indicate that it is relatively rare for students to pose a serious danger to themselves or others.In states like Texas, serious safety concerns trigger a "non-discretionary" mandatory removal, but these represent less than 5% of all disciplinary removals from school. While exclusion on grounds of safety is infrequent, students are routinely removed from school for minor offenses like tardiness, truancy, using foul language, disruption, and violation of the dress code.Of course, public school educators are also responsible for ensuring the integrity of the learning environment and attend to misbehavior that does not raise safety concerns. There is no question that there are circumstances where removing a student from a classroom is helpful to de-escalate a conflict, or to pursue an intervention outside the classroom with the support of an administrator, a counselor, parent(s) or community members. However, too many of our nation's public schools have moved away from reserving school exclusion only for the most serious offenses, and as a measure of last resort. Excessive suspensions and expulsions threaten educational opportunity, thereby undermining our national goals for closing academic achievement gaps for all children

Breaking Barriers: Plotting the Path to Academic Success for School-Age African-American Males

Using four national surveys, this study explores relationships between the academic success of African-American males and a host of variables -- personal and emotional factors, family factors, social and environmental factors, and school factors. Overall, the research points to the benefits of education policies that promote "healthy, safe and supportive learning environments.

Strategic Priorities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities with Teacher Preparation Programs

For this report, we surveyed selected HBCUs and HBCU-adjacent school districts to help state higher education executives and nongovernmental organizations understand what drives successful teacher preparation at HBCUs. Further, the report suggests ways to use HBCUs as resources to resolve longstanding racial disparities and inequities in majority-minority school districts

Preventing Delinquency and Promoting Academic Success among School-Age African American Males

This study explores delinquency related factors that have a relationship with educational outcomes for Black males. The findings suggest that reducing behaviors associated with delinquency improves academic performance across all races

The Author’s Reflections on \u3cem\u3eNo B.S. (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People\u3c/em\u3e

Toldson, Ivory. A. 2019. No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear About Black People (Boston, MA: Brill-Sense) 194 pp. ISBN 978-9004397026. This essay provides an introduction to No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear About Black People. In the essay, the author discusses how cynical views about the educational potential of Black children motivated him to write a book that challenges negative statistics. The essay also outlines the harmful consequences of using bad stats, or BS, and offers suggestion for how to use data in a more prudent and effective manner. The piece concludes with an excerpt from the book

Supporting Minority Male Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Disciplines

Supporting Minority Male Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Discipline