Thesis Statement
Due to the lack of resources for early childhood education, inconsistent financing options, budgeting issues caused by the decisions of the education board, and the presence of institutional discrimination in American education in the urban setting, African American students receive fewer options for advancing in their studies.
Problem Description
Due to multiple economic, sociopolitical, and sociocultural factors, among which discrimination takes a crucial place, African American students receive far fewer opportunities for sufficient education than their white counterparts. Therefore, a change is needed in handling Black students’ needs. Improved communication between teachers and parents, focus on eradicating racism, and the reconsideration of the approach to budgeting should be seen as the key steps in managing the inequality issue.
Literature Review
Dissecting the differences in the level of academic achievement among Black and white students, one should address the extent of parental support and the role that it plays in children’s learning process. Research shows that students whose parents are more supportive and understanding in their pursuit of academic knowledge turn out to be more successful in their learning than the ones with less invested parents (Bottiani, Bradshaw, & Mendelson, 2017). In turn, the parents of African American students, who happen to be less educate due to the challenges that they had to suffer several decades ago to receive equal opportunities provide less support for their children as the latter progress in their academic endeavors (Lindsay & Hart, 2017). As a result, African American students with less motivated and engaged parents tend to develop lesser enthusiasm and interest toward learning, which results in lower grades and overall fewer prospects for future higher education and, later on, employment.
The problem of financial support should also be mentioned as the factor that exacerbates the issue of inequality in education opportunities and quality for Black and white students (Houle & Addo, 2019). The described problem is caused my multiple factors, which range from economic ones such as the property values within the community and the associated drop in school funding to the basic presence of prejudices against people of color among the school board members (Owens, 2018). Either way, the lack of funding remains a consistent problem, which results in a lower range of resources and, ultimately, poorer performance of African American students on Scholastic Assessment Tests (SATs) (Houle & Addo, 2019). Therefore, the differences in urban education for African American and white students can be explained by numerous factors, discrimination and economic inequality being the main ones.
The lack of access to the materials and resources required for early development for learners is another factor that draws a divide between Black and white students at a fairly young age. Indeed, with a closer look at the economic environment in which a significant portion of the African American population lives in the U.S., one will realize that Black parents often have very limited access to early education tools (Hill, Witherspoon, & Bartz, 2018). As a result, Black students turn out to be insufficiently prepared for the academic progress and the acquisition of crucial learning skills (Comeaux, Chapman, & Contreras, 2020). The described problem harkens back to the issue of economic and class-related in equalities between the Black and white population in the U.S., with the former being provided with fewer options for early childhood education (Hill et al., 2018). Therefore, the urban education starts quite differently for African American and white children as the latter turn out to have better resources for being prepared for the learning process.
Solution
The described phenomenon is particularly worrisome since it represents a vicious circle that is unlikely to be broken by future generations. To address it, educators might consider closer cooperation with the parents of African American students to boost the levels of engagement in the latter’s families. With proper guidance from educators, African American parents will be able to provide their children with the support needed to advance in their studying.
Conclusion
The difference in urban education for African American and white students lies mainly in the extent of access to the said education opportunities and the level of prejudice that African American students have to fight in the process. With the rise of criticism of and opposition to the concept of the affirmative action, the range of options for African American students to participate in academic programs and pursue education- and career-related goals has diminished noticeably. The resulting gaps in academic achievements lead to the drop in the further extent pf higher education opportunities an, eventually, employment chances that Black students can pursue. As a result, it would be reasonable to state that there is a significant difference in urban education for African American and white students, the alleviation of which needs to be seen as the subject of future research.
References
Bottiani, J. H., Bradshaw, C. P., & Mendelson, T. (2017). A multilevel examination of racial disparities in high school discipline: Black and white adolescents’ perceived equity, school belonging, and adjustment problems. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109(4), 532-545. Web.
Comeaux, E., Chapman, T. K., & Contreras, F. (2020). The college access and choice processes of high-achieving African American Students: A critical race theory analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 57(1), 411-439.
Hill, N. E., Witherspoon, D. P., & Bartz, D. (2018). Parental involvement in education during middle school: Perspectives of ethnically diverse parents, teachers, and students. The Journal of Educational Research, 111(1), 12-27.
Houle, J. N., & Addo, F. R. (2019). Racial disparities in student debt and the reproduction of the fragile black middle class. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 5(4), 562-577.
Lindsay, C. A., & Hart, C. M. (2017). Exposure to same-race teachers and student disciplinary outcomes for Black students in North Carolina. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 39(3), 485-510.
Owens, A. (2018). Income segregation between school districts and inequality in students’ achievement. Sociology of Education, 91(1), 1-27.