A group of prominent civic leaders gathered at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library on Tuesday to discuss a “desperate” situation: the status of education in Denver for African-American teen boys.
“The education of the African-American male is a desperate situation that needs to be talked about,” said Celeste Archer, a member of the board of Women for Education , the hosting group, and a social-studies teacher at East High School.
Black students in Denver Public Schools tend to score low on CSAP tests. For example, among black 10th-graders in 2004, only 2 percent scored proficient or better in math, 23 percent in writing, and 33 percent in reading. Comparable figures for white 10th-graders were 31 percent in math, 60 percent in writing and 70 percent in reading.
The district’s figures don’t differentiate between males and females, but national studies have indicated that black boys tend to score lower than black girls.
A host of problems can confront many black teenage boys, including economic pressures, a lack of positive male role models and an attitude among their peers that being smart isn’t cool, panel members said.
Panelist Richard Smith, an assistant DPS superintendent, said he worried that funds to create culturally sensitive programs may be shifting to projects for the fast-growing Latino population and that blacks might be left by the wayside. He suggested that projects for the two groups be combined because the groups face similar socioeconomic problems.
Panel members, all black men, discussed a wide range of solutions, including bringing parents into the schools.
They also talked about encouraging teachers to become positive role models and to mentor students who need more attention.
“A lot of times, our goals aren’t high enough for black males,” panelist and DPS board member Kevin Patterson said. “When we lower our standards, we allow the system to lower their standards.”
Staff writer Daarel Burnette II can be reached at 303-820-1201 or dburnette@denverpost.com.
