A litany of problems are perpetuated by the systemic oppression of Black people in American society. Despite a progression of success over time-the ascent up ladders in economic, financial, educational, and entertainment realms-there still persists social institutions which deprive, disenfranchise, and marginalize Black Americans. Exceptional figures who are able to transcend systemic oppression are few and far in between compared to their white counterparts. A myriad of consequences arising from the way American society is structured has far-reaching effects with implications supported by overwhelming statistics for black poverty, unemployment, and incarceration levels. However, one common denominator existing at the root of many of these social issues is the way early school experiences of Black Americans are influenced by race and class, and how these experiences historically and currently preserve the existing disparity in measures of achievement.
The ties of American education system to racism, classism, and nativism is problematic because it prevents equal opportunities for learning. This interdependence is evident from the curricula taught, to interactions between students and their superiors, and through the techniques used to categorize students’ intellectual abilities. Whether the enforcers of systemic oppression have malicious intent or are merely oblivious doesn’t matter. The consequences remain, and the detriments of oppression placed on the lives of black students are irreversible. Early school experiences shape how students see themselves. When black students are never taught that people who look like them hold professional titles, or teachers are quick to mishandle their disobedience, or when they perform poorly on tests that were never accustomed to them in the first place, they are constantly relayed a message that academic success is out of reach. After all, schools are institutions where kids are socialized for the majority of their youth, so it becomes one of the largest influences on a person’s life trajectory.
Standardized tests are supposed to be unbiased assessments of how hard students work. It is implied that the more a student studies, the more seriously they take their education, and the better they will perform on them. Ostensibly, the students who work hardest will earn higher scores, and those scores will gain favor with college admissions officers. Those who are perform well are instilled with the notion that they have “potential”. This particular narrative is aligned with America’s meritocratic dogma: a strong work ethic is necessary for success. However, the paradigm disregards the structural inequality that disadvantages minorities.
The history of standardized tests in particular is mired in racism and elitism. Cultural and class biases exist in the testing procedures, vocabulary, and linguistic structures. When we accept the myth that these tests are merit-based, we also accept the idea that race and class gaps in standardized test results, which, according to the Brookings Institution, have remained relatively unchanged over the last 20 years, are due to group inadequacies, not structural ones. Take the example of a child who is given the question “teacup is to saucer as _?_ is to coaster”. Choosing the correct answer has less to do with intellectual capacity than it does personal experiences that are a result of their upbringing. Standardized testing assumes prior knowledge, and a child who was never exposed to fine china or the proper etiquette for dining would be at a disadvantage. Standardized tests are used to sort children into education paths that are “appropriate” for them, which includes determining which classes they are able to take. These tests which can be used to diagnose disorders leads to a disproportionate amount of black students in special education programs (Racial Justice and Standardized Educational Testing page 1). Defining a student by his or her test-taking abilities is counterintuitive to the necessary intellectual trial-and-error, praxis, and the discovery of one’s true capabilities.
The content and vocabulary used when constructing these exams disadvantage minority cultures, who are less represented in the companies who write the exams. The same principle applies to curriculum. An article published by The Guardian chronicled a study of American textbook publishers where it was found that in 34 companies, 79% of the staff was white (page 1). If school is an institution used to socialize children, then the perspective we teach history from shapes their world views. Monique Morris’s novel “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” responds to this issue when she analyzes, “If schools are teaching curricula that have erased the presence of black females from the heroic narrative of American exceptionalism…are they not implicitly constructing a narrative of exclusion?” (page 26). Isolation and exclusion is further substantiated through the interactions students have with teachers and administrators. When black children misbehave, they tend to face harsher punishment. A study by the US Department of Education confirmed that “Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than white students” (page 1). Zero-tolerance policies and other highly punitive school practices don’t address the underlying problems that trigger unruly, albeit not always criminal or delinquent, behavior. However, stereotypes that vilify the “attitude” of Black students in particular makes delineating what constitutes a real threat highly subjective when Black children are involved.
Since education is not a duty outlined for the national government in the Constitution, issues plaguing this institution is, for the most part, left for resolution at the state level. Besides petitioning for cultural studies classes and training teachers to become more culturally sensitive in the way they address their students and instruct the class, most of the real change comes from the national and state level educational boards instead of at the district level. There have been a couple programs at the national level that aim to lessen the existing achievement gap between racial/ethnic groups of students. The No Child Left Behind Act implemented by the Bush administration was one such program whose idea seemed helpful in theory but proved ineffective in practice. When schools couldn’t meet the standards set by NCLB, the low-performing schools risked the loss of federal funding (Klein 2). Proponents of this program felt that withholding important funding could be the most efficient way to raise the proficiency level quickly. However, critics mention that “each state got to decide, individually, what ‘proficiency’ should look like and which tests to use” (Klein 3). Those who disapproved also felt like NCLB was a band-aid that missed the deeper issues below the surface. Those ignored concerns included again how standardized testing was an inaccurate assessment, and how minority groups would be forced to learn according to the mainstream ideals and standards that rendered their unique cultures and experiences voiceless. Teachers and other advocates who have more direct contact with the student populations felt like the program was too ambitious and narrowed the acceptable curriculum. By contrast, the imagery of the creators of NCLB was those of white male authority figures with former president George W. Bush as the figurehead.
The intent of NCLB wasn’t malicious, and the idea helped hold schools accountable to a certain extent. In an attempt to “preserve the spirit” of NCLB but remedy many of its problems, the Obama administration enacted the Every Student Succeeds Act. For one, ESSA made testing more flexible in the sense that it created “a new program that funds up to seven states (or consortia of states) that wish to try alternative, innovative ways to determine student success — things like competency- or performance-based assessment” (Collier 1). Thus, ESSA is more conducive towards meeting the differing needs of different communities. While both ESSA and NCLB are in the same vein in their objectives, no legislation has been passed that require teacher training that would allow them to better understand the populations they’re working with. A novel program like that could help with conflict resolution during misbehavior incidents that could continue the classroom time for Black students instead of subjecting them to punishment under the zero-tolerance policies.
Based on the lack of relevant legislation passed, it can be reasonably assumed that making the early school experiences for Black and minority children more culturally sensitive and tailored to their specific needs isn’t at the forefront of many policymakers’ agendas. I feel, however, with the new wave of black activism and empowerment that the issues regarding black student treatment, testing, and curriculum can be alleviated as more programs are enacted through the same trial-and-error process that occurred with NCLB/ESSA. Advancing this issue could be made in part by appealing policymakers to become more aware of the consequences that arise when the upcoming generation isn’t adequately educated. This connects with having a form of political power for the black community where local, state, and federal-level authorities advance Black interests. In a realistic application of the black uplift platforms of Martin Luther King and W.E.B DuBois, the idea that education is the backbone for gaining equality would be emphasized throughout our government. Democracy can only succeed when the needs of the people are able to actually affect legislative change. Through education, people receive the knowledge they need to elect capable leaders, apply tolerance and acceptance to all groups and cultures, and learn from the mistakes made in the past. If democracy were to be practiced ideally, many of the other social issues Black Americans encounter would be remedied as well. Extrapolations can be drawn to depict a higher employment rate, increased financial stability, and a decrease in the black-white poverty chasm if more Black Americans had access to higher education and the support they need to receive a degree. For this reason, red-flagging the policies, practices, and overall American consciousness that fosters Black students invisibility from an early age is critical in the eradication of social injustices and achievement of stability in our country.