Black/White Academic Achievement Gap!

"Between the Rhetoric and Reality": Dorrance Publishing: Lauriat Press; 9-2009.

This book describes the plight and journey of the first Blacks who arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, before the Mayflower. Those Blacks, who were indentured servants and not slaves, were central to the meaning of Jamestown and America. These Black immigrants settled in Jamestown and flourished until the White founding fathers imposed the institution of slavery upon its Black population, beginning when Massachusetts became the first colony to legally recognize slavery. From this point in history the authors trace African Americans' plight from the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction to Brown vs. Board of Education, to present.

The authors highlight the Supreme Court's ruling of 1954 in Brown vs. Board of Education and the subsequent court rulings regarding the so-called desegregation of our public school system. They attempt to draw attention to some of the problems described in this book and the precarious and implosive condition of the Black family and community in America.

Among some of the topics discussed in the book are striking increases of Black homicide and suicide rates since the 1980's; the horrendous incarceration rate of young Black males within our jails and prisons; the degradation of the Black female, and the genocidal rate of Black abortions in the Black community. The authors vividly discuss the ever-widening Black/White academic test score gap and the illiteracy rates of our inner-city schools of Black non-mainstream, disadvantaged students. They mention the terrible high school drop-out rates for Black and Latino students attending inner-city schools.

The illiteracy within the inner-city urban and rural populations of Black America is alarming. Black youth are dropping out of high school at a rate of 53%, annually. A great percentage of these Black, non-mainstream students, which represent 70% of Black, inner-city school populations are functionally illiterate, functioning at a peak of 4.9 grade level achievement rate in reading and writing in grades 11&12. Traditionally, in this country, education has been the means or pathway for upward mobility for African Americans. That no longer holds true for great deal of the Black community. Currently, the Black community has an adult illiteracy rate of over 44%.

The authors proceed to document statistical information on these topics. They describe reading programs which were developed by Black social scientists and educators to deal effectively with the Black/White test score gap (low reading skills) of Black non-mainstream inner-city students. They detail how one of these reading programs, designed and scientifically field tested in five school districts nationwide, was shelved in 1976. The program was tested by Houghton Mifflin Publishers, in grades 7-12. The results showed a 6.2 gain (monthly) in reading scores for four months of instruction - more, than triple the gain of the students working in the standard program.

This book reviews the public schools' failure to educate the Black child, and particularly, how the Black child is in need of new teaching models that can provide positive educational experiences. The authors connect these problems plaguing the Black community to society as a whole, in order to show that these alarming figures are more than just statistics-they have widespread consequences upon American society. This book will give a new direction to all who are sincere about confronting, and overcoming, this enormous waste of human potential!

About the Authors:

Dr. Gary Simpkins, co-author and psychologist, attended Harvard University and completed his Doctoral Dissertation on "Reading, Black English: Associative Bridging." He later attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, receiving his Doctorate in Education there. He has written numerous papers on Black English, authored the book "The Throwaway Kids", and co-authored the Bridge Reading Program: A Cross-Cultural Reading Program, Houghton Mifflin (2002&2005: Revised edition). Regrettably - my brother, and co-author, Gary Simpkins, recently passed away.

Frank Simpkins, co-author, and educator, is a graduate of California State University San Bernardino with an, M Ed. in Educational Counseling and Guidance and Special Education. He has worked a number of years as Director of Educational Opportunities Programs and Services at Barstow Community College District; k-12 school counseling and guidance, and Special education teacher. Between both authors, they represent over 60 years of experience within the field of education.