This blog, in November
2018, reported on Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom’s[1] work that cites studies
regarding sociological/historical factors and how they have affected racial and
ethnic groups. Specifically, that
research looked at these groups’ ability to prepare their offspring to succeed
in school.
That
posting, “Disadvantages Beget Disadvantages,” compares the relative
disadvantages African Americans have as compared to what white, Asian Americans,
and Hispanic families face. The history
of African Americans has been measurably more challenging than that of these
other groups.
This posting will continue this report. An influential work that reports on the
relative strength of various ethnic-racial groups in preparing children for
schoolwork is that of Christopher Jencks and Meredith Phillips. They provide often cited statistics in this
area of concern. Summarily, they state,
Change in parenting practices might
do more to reduce the black-white test score gap than changes in parents’
educational attainment or income. … Cognitive disparities between black and
white preschool children are currently so large that it is hard to imagine how
schools alone could eliminate them. … Changing the way parents deal with their
children may be the single most important thing we can do to improve children’s
cognitive skills.[2]
The previous posting made
the argument that this current situation is clearly the product of the history
these groups have experienced.
Of importance, Jencks and Phillips highlight the amount and
character of verbal communications between parents and children. This can be analyzed according to the amount
and type of communication that transpires.
One effort to measure the effects of that history is provided by Home
Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) group and its scale. That study unfortunately reveals significant
differences among white, Hispanic, and black households.
Broad comparisons (in rough numbers) on a testing scale
found the following: in terms of
cognitive stimulation, whites scored 104, Hispanics scored 94, and blacks
scored 93; and in terms of emotional support, whites scored 103, Hispanics
scored 99, and blacks scored 91.[3] But before one is tempted
to listen to racial bigots who cite such statistics to “prove” there exists
inherent differences among racial and/or ethnic groups, deeper study proves them
to be wrong.
As the Thernstroms argue, such factors as parental
education, occupation, and income do make a difference. One can also add to those more cited
variables child’s weight at birth and age of mother also correlate with school
performance.[4] When one controls for these factors, one
finds no difference among these groups.
They
further suggest that a researcher could probably conflate these other measured variables
by just counting the number of books in the home – the more the better. On this last factor, the Thernstroms report
that in a 1998 study of kindergarten students, whites had on average 93 books at
home and black kids had half that number.
How many books a child has access to at home does not make the
difference, but that number is a telling one for other factors.
Can school systems control for these factors? Directly, they have little to no
control. But they can be aware of them
and tailor their efforts accordingly. Of
course, in dealing with challenged students, their strategies should reflect
knowledge and sensitivity to what is; what the challenges their students bring
through the front door of the schoolhouse.
But
more importantly, perhaps, is the responsibility of informing the general
public – and their children – what these sociological factors are and to what extent
they exist locally. And this needs to be
done sensitively. The last thing
challenged students need is fodder material that can be used in bullying or
other derogative treatment by fellow students.
But
generally, if there exist inordinate obstacles that confront portions of the
student population, the whole community needs to be made aware of them. They need to be instructed on how the
community can address the unjust conditions that face any grouping within their
midst. And civics education can and
should play a central role. It should,
at the secondary level, lead to a productive response by teachers and administrators
with the aim of truly federating all families.
[1]
Abigail
Thernstrom and Stephen Thernstrom, No
Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in
Learning (New York, NY: Simon &
Schuster, 2003).
[2]
Christopher
Jencks and Meredith Phillips, The Black-White Test Score Gap (Washington,
DC: Brookings Institution Press, 1998),
24, 45-46; a version of this work can be found online, https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Black_White_Test_Score_Gap/Ywb7r1oOxJYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PP1&printsec=frontcover, accessed January 2, 2020.
[3]
David J. Armor, Maximizing Intelligence (New
Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books, 2003);
a version of this work can be found online, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Maximizing_Intelligence/nR0uDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover .
[4]
Abigail
Thernstrom and Stephen Thernstrom, No
Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in
Learning.
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