Big lag in test scores for blacks, Hispanics

Despite a seventh straight year of improved test scores statewide, results released today show California schools failed to make a significant dent in a historically immovable achievement gap - one that leaves black and Hispanic students lagging well behind their white and Asian peers.

Based on the rate of improvement from 2003 to 2009, it would take up to 105 years to close the white/Hispanic achievement gap and at least 189 years to close the white/black gap, which has failed to narrow by even a point in English since 2003, according to scores released today.

It would take even longer for Hispanic and black students to perform on the standardized tests on par with Asian students, who post the highest scores in the state in both math and English.

State Superintendent Jack O'Connell called the gap a civil rights issue that cannot be blamed on economics alone.

Wealthier black students score well below their white and Asian counterparts, including those who are from low-income families.

Different starting points

"These results do not suggest students can't learn," O'Connell said. "The reality is the starting line is not the same for all our students."

O'Connell noted that many children don't start kindergarten with the advantage of a quality preschool program, and others don't have enough medical care to keep them healthy enough to learn.

Across the state, 50 percent of children were proficient or above in English, up from 46 percent the year before. In Math, 46 percent were at least proficient, a gain of three points.

Yet statewide, only 37 percent of African American and Hispanic students were proficient or above in English - 31 points behind white students and 36 points behind Asian students.

"The lack of progress in truly closing these gaps is appalling," said Linda Murray, acting executive director of the Education Trust-West, an Oakland nonprofit agency promoting educational equity in a statement.

The state administers the tests to students in grades two through 11 in math and English, with high school students also tested in history and science.

For years, even decades, educators and policymakers have vowed to conquer the achievement gap and they have spent billions of dollars trying to do so - money spent on class-size reduction, teacher training, summer school, after-school programs, mentoring, tutoring and technology, among a long spending list.

O'Connell has renewed efforts to tackle the most vexing problem in public education, with task forces and research aimed at finding the answers.

Cultural challenges

Education officials have sat down with the directors of university education programs in an effort to get the system to churn out new teachers who understand the challenges and cultural issues that low-performing students bring when they get to school.

The state is highlighting districts and local programs that have showed promise, hoping to replicate the ideas where applicable.

San Francisco is among the districts showing some measure of success in closing the gap - a small dent, but progress nonetheless.

"We have cause to celebrate. Our whole district made significant gains and our African-American and Latino students made even greater gains than their peers," said Superintendent Carlos Garcia. "We still have a long way to go but this shows it can be done."

O'Connell, Garcia and other education officials, however, cautioned that the situation could get worse in the coming year as the state's budget crisis is felt in the schools.

Already summer school was reduced or eliminated across the state, class sizes in many schools will go up when school starts while the academic year will be shorter and teachers will likely have little help in finding new ways to teach struggling children.

"This is all going to contribute to a greater challenge for education," O'Connell said. "I'm really concerned for next year's test scores."