College Board Report Explores the Challenges Facing Minority Males in School and Identifies Promising Programs to Accelerate Achievement

Advocacy

Luis Ponjuan, assistant professor, University of Florida

Minority male students continue to face overwhelming barriers in educational attainment, notes a report released on Jan. 28 by the College Board at a Capitol Hill briefing held in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American, Black and Hispanic Congressional Caucuses. The report highlights some of the undeniable challenges among minority students, including a lack of role models, search for respect outside of education, loss of cultural memory, poverty challenges, language barriers, community pressures and a sense of a failing education system.

College Board President Gaston Caperton was joined at the event by U.S. Congressmen Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Mike Honda (D-CA), along with a panel of leading educators and community leaders who shared expertise and called on leaders and communities to address this national crisis.

From left: Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL); College Board President Gaston Caperton; Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Howard University President Sidney Ribeau; Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, associate vice president for enrollment management and director of scholarships and student aid at Syracuse University; and Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA)

The College Board’s report, The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color, gathered the insights and firsthand experiences of more than 60 scholars, practitioners and activists from the African American, Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islanders and Native American communities, based on a series of four one-day seminars called Dialogue Days, in scholars, advocates and representatives from each community participated in a meaningful discussion to address the education needs of minority males.

The report identified the need for a more coordinated effort of K–12 schools, colleges and universities, and state higher education bodies to forge partnerships to help males of color get ready, get in and get through college. A number of “model” education programs, for replication and expansion, were also identified. These successful programs have multiple commonalities, including more empowered student voices, partnerships at all levels from parent to community action, mentoring programs, male role models and wraparound services.

One program particularly noteworthy in the area of wraparound services is the Harlem Children’s Zone, http://www.hcz.org. This school program offers an innovative community-based approach to learning including education, social services, and community-building services to children and families. It wraps a comprehensive array of child and family services around schools in an entire neighborhood — parenting classes, job training, health clinics, charter schools — convinced that schools reflect what is going on in the communities around them. Students in these school programs show impressive achievement gains.

Other panelists at the Capitol Hill briefing included Sidney Ribeau, the president of Howard University, Lee Bitsoi, assistant professor at Georgetown University, Roy Jones, project director for the Call Me MISTER Program at Clemson University, Luis Ponjuan, assistant professor at the University of Florida, Hal Smith, vice president of Education & Youth for the National Urban League, Lillian Sparks, executive director for the National Indian Education Association, Robert Teranishi, associate professor at New York New York University, and Ronald Williams, vice president at the College Board.

There was a commitment by the College Board to continue this dialogue and discussion in months to come through its advocacy efforts.