New Report: The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color

Posted by on February 15, 2010

Far removed from opportunity, and despairingA new report from the College Board cites “overwhelming barriers” for U.S. minority males in becoming educated and productive citizens, proposes national strategies to erase “disparities in educational attainment” and find “new ways of reaching the increasingly diverse U.S. student population,” according to Diverse Issues in Education. The 42-page report gives a detailed portrait of lagging educational attainment by African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Pacific Islander, and Native American males in comparison with other groups and minority women. (Among Asian-Americans, the data trends were disaggregated to show the most vulnerable population are males of Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander descent, in comparison with those of Northeast Asian descent.) At the study’s unveiling, Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, said it describes “young men who are so far removed from our opportunity culture that they almost have no hope of contributing to our social and our economic growth. As a result, they live in despair, hopelessness, and too often violence and incarceration.” We continue to ignore their plight at our own peril, he said. Among the report’s many recommendations are that the federal government, foundations, and concerned organizations convene a national policy discussion and fund research to clarify issues that could impact minority male achievement.

Read more: http://diverseeducation.com/article/13484/minority-male-plight-demands-broad-u-s-action-college-board-says.html

See the report: http://www.collegeboard.com/press/releases/210157.html