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Administration: Diversity justifies race-conscious policies

December 11, 2011 by

 Schools and colleges can consider consider race and ethnicity to promote diversity, advises the Education and Justice Departments in new “guidances” that reverse Bush Administration policy.

“Diverse learning environments promote development of analytical skills, dismantle stereotypes, and prepare students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in announcing the guidance Dec. 2 with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Race-neutral policies should be considered first, but need not be tried before being deemed “unworkable,” according to the administration. And race or ethnicity can be a “plus factor,” but not a “defining” factor.

“A school district should not evaluate student applicants in a way that makes a student’s race his or her defining factor,” says the K-12 guidance, in reference to decisions on competitive academic programs, for example.

Civil rights groups have been lobbying for the changes.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide in January whether to consider a white student’s challenge of the use of race in University of Texas admissions policy.

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CC students do better with same-race prof

September 7, 2011 by

Community college students are more likely to complete a course and earn higher grades if the instructor matches their own race or ethnicity, a new study finds. The effect is greatest for blacks and recent high school graduates.

Also on Community College Spotlight:  After years of rapid growth, community college enrollments are flattening out.

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More students refuse to state a race

January 19, 2010 by

Students’ refusal to state their race on forms is frustrating school officials, reports McClatchy News.

SACRAMENTO — About half of the 37 students in teacher Jeanne Kirchofer’s Laguna Creek High School classroom, who span nearly every combination of race and ethnicity, have joined the growing number of California studentsn who decline to state a race on official forms and tests.

“We shouldn’t be judged by our race,” said senior Jessica Mae Belcher, 17, whose roots are African and Cherokee. She prefers “none of the above” because “we’re all different, but we’re all the same, too.”

From 2006 to 2009, the number of Elk Grove Unified students whose race is listed as “multiple/no response” went from 500 to 6,200. Statewide, there’s been a 70 percent increase in “multiple/no response” students in three years.

The U.S. Department of Education wants school officials to “eyeball” students who decline to state and check a box for them, reports McClatchy.  In order to identify racial/ethnic achievement gaps, “the agency is pressing schools to identify all students by race in 2010-11 or face penalties.”

California doesn’t force school officials to assign a racial or ethnic identity to students who prefer to be uncategorized. At Laguna Creek High, some students say they prefer to identify as “American.”

Freshman Felicia Forte, 14, traces her roots to France, Africa and Jamaica. “In the end, we’re all American,” she said. “Race doesn’t matter. Especially on a test, it makes us feel like they’re going to categorize us or stereotype us.”

“Usually I bubble in ‘Mexican,’ but I don’t speak Spanish, so I feel weird about identifying as Mexican,” said Angellinda Gonzalez, 15. “But I’m still proud of my culture. We really shouldn’t judge people because they are a different race.”

More California college students also are declining to state a race or ethnicity. That may reflect a rise in multi-ethnic students — or a fear of discrimination. Nationally, “other” is up 25 percent on the SAT.

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