Report: Affirm. Action Does More Harm Than Good

[MDM4AU 332]

Report: Affirmative Action Does More Harm Than Good

Jim Meyers, NewsMax.com

Tuesday, May 3, 2005

Affirmative action produces no concrete benefits for minority students and actually has several harmful effects, according to a new report by the Cato Institute.

"Recent research shows that college admissions preferences do not offer even the practical benefits claimed by their supporters," writes Marie Gryphon, a lawyer and policy analyst with the Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom. Affirmative action does not significantly affect college access because most four-year schools are not selective, and will accept any student with a high school education.

Preferences for minority students come into play only at the 20 to 30 percent of colleges where admissions are competitive, according to Gryphon.

But preferences at these selective schools have not increased college access for minorities because most minorities leave high school without the minimum credentials necessary to attend any four-year school.

Political scientist Jay Green found that only 20 percent of African-American students and 16 percent of Hispanics leave high school with the minimum credentials.

"Minority underrepresentation in college is caused by public schools' failure to prepare minority students," writes Gryphon. "It is a failure that affirmative action does not remedy."

Preferences also do not increase the earning power of students who attend more selective schools as a result of affirmative action.

Recent research shows that when equally prepared students are compared, those attending less selective schools make as much money as those from more selective schools.

Affirmative action in fact results in harm to the minority community, Gryphon found, due to the "ratchet effect:" Preferences at a handful of top schools, including state flagship universities, can worsen racial disparities in academic preparation at other schools by luring away qualified minority students who might otherwise attend those schools.

"This effect results in painfully large gaps in academic preparation between minority students and others on campuses around the country," according to Gryphon.

Affirmative action also hurts campus race relationships. Thomas Sowell, author of "Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study," writes: "Even in the absence of overt hostility, black students at M.I.T. complained that other students there did not regard them as being desirable partners on group projects or as people to study with for tough exams."

And the policy harms minority student performance "by activating fears of confirming negative group stereotypes, lowering grades, and reducing college completion rates among preferred students," Gryphon found.

That is, minority students who are "bumped up" into selective schools for which they're ill-prepared show poorer academic performance and graduation rates than if they had attended a less selective institution.

"Policymakers should end the harmful practice of racial preferences in college admissions," Gryphon concludes. "Instead, they should work to close the critical skills gap by implementing school choice reforms and setting higher academic expectations for students of all backgrounds."

LINK

[Piglet 0]

CENT ONE: What is public school doing that disproportionately hurts racial minorities? What, you give two people the same textbook and teacher, and the white one's gonna automatically do better somehow? I don't get it.

OK, maybe some minorities need some extra help learning English. Anything else?

CENT TWO: The real affirmative action problem in higher ed is the affirmative action preferences given to the spawn of rich alumni regardless of academic qualification. Find a way to end that one, and I'll listen to how considerations of "ethnic diversity" are so bad and discriminatory.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

CENT ONE: What is public school doing that disproportionately hurts racial minorities?

Why assume that public schools are doing anything to "hurt minorities"? Couldn't it be something at home or in the particular minority community that's the problem?

What, you give two people the same textbook and teacher, and the white one's gonna automatically do better somehow? I don't get it.

Me either. Which is why I don't think it's the school, most of the time, that's the main source of the discrepancy.

CENT TWO: The real affirmative action problem in higher ed is the affirmative action preferences given to the spawn of rich alumni regardless of academic qualification.  Find a way to end that one, and I'll listen to how considerations of "ethnic diversity" are so bad and discriminatory.

I'll agree that legacy preferences need to end or at least need to be curtailed so that only the truly qualified progeny of alumni get a "extra look" or whatever.

[Auburn85 432]

Public schools have become the biggest baby-sitting establishment in the country. Yet, this was not the intention of a functioning public school.

And it does start at home, parents, neighborhoods, ect..

It's not the child's fault. It's not my fault. So why should I vote myself new taxes to fund a babysitting establishment.

Yes, good kids are in the public school system, but now more funding is going towards metal detectors, police security,ect...

When a school gets this bad, the system became to soft and lacked the same discipline that should have been given out to the troubled kids.

But we won't ever see the real "board" of education back in the school because we don't want to hurt the child's self-esteem, plus God help us if it was a white principal spaking a black kid.

I guess you can relate to the story of the out of control 5 year old who was put in cuffs.

[Tigermike 3,041]

At the National Governor's Association meeting, Microsoft co-founder and CEO Bill Gates was highly critical of the nation's high schools.

In part, Gates said, "there are millions of students that our high schools are not preparing for higher education... America's high schools are obsolete.

"Our high schools – even when they're workings exactly as designed – cannot teach our kids what they need to know today. Our high schools were designed fifty years ago to meet the needs of another age. Until we design them to meet the needs of the 21st century, we will keep limiting – even ruining – the lives of millions of Americans every year. Today, only one-third of our students graduate from high school ready for college, work, and citizenship.

"I am terrified for our workforce of tomorrow. In math and science, our 4th graders are among the top students in the world. By 8th grade, they're in the middle of the pack. By 12th grade, U.S. students are scoring near the bottom of all industrialized nations.

"The poor performance of our high schools in preparing students for college is a major reason why the United States has now dropped from first to fifth in the percentage of young adults with a college degree... In the international competition to have the biggest and best supply of knowledge workers, Americas is falling behind.

"Everyone agrees this is tragic. But these are our high schools that keep letting these kids fall through the cracks, and we act as if it can't be helped. It can be helped. We designed these high schools; we can redesign them.

"But first we have to understands that today's high schools are not the cause of the problem; they are the result.  The key problem is political will. Elected officials have not yet done away with the idea underlying the old design. The idea behind the old design was that you could train an adequate workforce by sending only a third of your kids to college – and that the other kids either couldn't do college work or didn't need to. The idea behind the new design is that all students can do rigorous work, and – for their sake and ours – they have to.

"If we keep the system as it is, millions of children will never get a chance to fulfill their promise because of their zip code, their skin color, or the income of their parents. That is offensive to our values, and it's an insult to who we are.

"Every kid can graduate ready for college. Every kid should have the chance. Let's redesign our schools to make it happen."

http://www.patownhall.com/article/639

[Piglet 0]

Why assume that public schools are doing anything to "hurt minorities"?  Couldn't it be something at home or in the particular minority community that's the problem?

158393[/snapback]

Well, the article says "Minority underrepresentation in college is caused by public schools' failure to prepare minority students", which sorta implies that what they're doing is preparing only the non-minorities.

Of course families have a huge impact on whether individual children are learning, but the school is where we all have a voice and get to influence the trends that are dumbing-down American kids in general.

[WarTim 3,456]

WE already provide FREE breakfast and FREE lunch. All that the libs need do now is provide a bed and color tv and they can raise all of the kids themselves!

[TitanTiger 20,499]

Why assume that public schools are doing anything to "hurt minorities"?  Couldn't it be something at home or in the particular minority community that's the problem?

158393[/snapback]

Well, the article says "Minority underrepresentation in college is caused by public schools' failure to prepare minority students", which sorta implies that what they're doing is preparing only the non-minorities.

Well, that's the notion I'm challenging. I went to public schools my entire life and even back then, the minority students did not perform at the same level as the white students. We all sat in the same classrooms, had the same access to the teachers, took the same tests, etc. What did my teachers do to the minority kids that they didn't do to me? At some point, people need to stop looking outward and attack the enemy within.

Of course families have a huge impact on whether individual children are learning, but the school is where we all have a voice and get to influence the trends that are dumbing-down American kids in general.

158414[/snapback]

Well, I certainly agree with making schools more relevant and effective in teaching important subject matter and skills. I'm just trying to figure out why when minority students aren't measuring up, it's the schools fault when the white kids and other racial minorities such as Asians and Indians (the country India, not Native Americans) outpace everyone. Like I said, we're all sitting in the same classes. I'm not sure how it's the school's fault when one subset of kids are performing below average.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

It has been my experience that race does not play a part n how well a child does in school. In some cases, it is simply God given smarts and drive that allows a child to make straight A's. That is a small percentage. In the majority of situations, if a kid has a set of parents (or even one parent) that are more concerned with the well-being and success of their child than putting spinners on their ride or where their next Milwaukee's Best is coming from, that kid will make good grades in school. If the situation is reversed, a kid will not succeed in school and/or life.

Parents, be involved. Know who your kids' teachers are. Coach a little league team. Get your fat butt off the coach and stop watching American Idol ( ) and go play catch with your 11 year old. Have a tea party with your 6 year old daughter. Help them with their homework. Put down the beer (or at least drink it in moderation) and set up a lemonade stand.

Rant off.

[CCTAU 3,335]

At the National Governor's Association meeting, Microsoft co-founder and CEO Bill Gates was highly critical of the nation's high schools.

In part, Gates said, "there are millions of students that our high schools are not preparing for higher education... America's high schools are obsolete.

"Our high schools – even when they're workings exactly as designed – cannot teach our kids what they need to know today. Our high schools were designed fifty years ago to meet the needs of another age. Until we design them to meet the needs of the 21st century, we will keep limiting – even ruining – the lives of millions of Americans every year. Today, only one-third of our students graduate from high school ready for college, work, and citizenship.

"I am terrified for our workforce of tomorrow. In math and science, our 4th graders are among the top students in the world. By 8th grade, they're in the middle of the pack. By 12th grade, U.S. students are scoring near the bottom of all industrialized nations.

"The poor performance of our high schools in preparing students for college is a major reason why the United States has now dropped from first to fifth in the percentage of young adults with a college degree... In the international competition to have the biggest and best supply of knowledge workers, Americas is falling behind.

"Everyone agrees this is tragic. But these are our high schools that keep letting these kids fall through the cracks, and we act as if it can't be helped. It can be helped. We designed these high schools; we can redesign them.

"But first we have to understands that today's high schools are not the cause of the problem; they are the result.  The key problem is political will. Elected officials have not yet done away with the idea underlying the old design. The idea behind the old design was that you could train an adequate workforce by sending only a third of your kids to college – and that the other kids either couldn't do college work or didn't need to. The idea behind the new design is that all students can do rigorous work, and – for their sake and ours – they have to.

"If we keep the system as it is, millions of children will never get a chance to fulfill their promise because of their zip code, their skin color, or the income of their parents. That is offensive to our values, and it's an insult to who we are.

"Every kid can graduate ready for college. Every kid should have the chance. Let's redesign our schools to make it happen."

http://www.patownhall.com/article/639

158399[/snapback]

To redesign our schools for the future would once again be leaving minorities behind. It will never happen. Desegregation was the worst implemented issue of the las 100 years. Education in America, especially the south, went downhill. The problem was not putting whites and blacks together. The problem was that instead of working with blacks to bring them up to the level of the white schools, the system went down to the level of the blacks. This repercussions of this decision are still being felt today. In our education system, every test is challenged by "black leaders" as being designed for whites. When we get to the point that we start failing those, without prejudice, who cannot keep up, then we can redesign our education system. But for now, every minority failed is declared a racial issue. I contend that race has nothing to do with intelligence. Its the lack of backbone to DEMAND excellence from EVERY student. And if a student, black or white, fails to meet those standards by the time they finish 10th grade, then they get to learn how to weld, stock shelves, carpenter, dig ditches, etc.

We need new segregation. We need to segregate those who want to learn from those who want to just exist. And while we are at it, lets make a high school diploma (or tech school) be a requirement for welfare for anyone under the age of forty. Free education has been offered in this country long enough that no one person has been denied the opportunity, not right, but opportunity, to learn. If you screw up this opportunity, its your CHOICE.

[Bama Bo 0]

We need new segregation. We need to segregate those who want to learn from those who want to just exist. And while we are at it, lets make a high school diploma (or tech school) be a requirement for welfare for anyone under the age of forty. Free education has been offered in this country long enough that no one person has been denied the opportunity, not right, but opportunity, to learn. If you screw up this opportunity, its your CHOICE.

158584[/snapback]

I will totaly agree with this part of your statement.

[Piglet 0]

We need new segregation. We need to segregate those who want to learn from those who want to just exist. And while we are at it, lets make a high school diploma (or tech school) be a requirement for welfare for anyone under the age of forty. Free education has been offered in this country long enough that no one person has been denied the opportunity, not right, but opportunity, to learn. If you screw up this opportunity, its your CHOICE.

158584[/snapback]

You lost me with that first paragraph, and then you got me again. We need separate classes for high-level, challenging education, for average students, and for slow learners. Maybe another one to distinguish between "slow learners" and those who don't WANT to learn. We need to nurture the promising, hope-for-America gifted, and do the best we can with the runts of the litter at a pace appropriate for them. And that's kinda hard to do when they're all in the same classroom.

Mind you, we can find plenty of lessons in how not to do it, in the present system. I was misdiagnosed as a "slow learner" when I first entered the system, had books actually taken out of my hands by teachers who tole me that what I was reading was "too hard", and was on the wood-shop track until about fifth grade, when I took my first standardized test, and was discovered to be not "retarded" but "gifted". So I'm quite big on standardized tests.

I also worked as a substitute for a bit after graduation. I worked at one school where they had a "special needs" class which meant that they shoveled both the retarded kids and the worst discipline cases into the same classroom, where the bad kids regularly beat up on the retarded ones and no effort was made to teach any of them anything. Their main goal it seemed was to just get them out of the way so that the other classrooms could function ok without 'em.

You want segregation by merit, you gotta address some important protections. You need to make the elite class open to anyone who can cut it, maybe even to those who don't look like they can cut it at the beginning, but who show a lot of ambition and will to make an effort at it. And you gotta account for late bloomers--avoid having it set up so that a kid who starts out in a lower level class in elementary school, and who maybe matures late, is not made so far behind that he'll never catch up if he tries to transfer.

Shucks, maybe everyone should start out at the highest level class, as a privilege you automatically start with, but can lose if you don't apply yourself. The lower level classes can be where you're placed as an alternative to flunking and repeating a grade.

Question: at how early an age are you responsible for your future life? If a kid shows potential but is failing due to family noninvolvement and bad role models at home, is there something the system ought to do to prevent the kid from being on a path to failure? If a third-grader isn't applying himself, are we gonna have a system where choices made at age 8 are allowed to determine the rest of his education into adulthood? At some point, the grownups are supposed to be making decisions on the kid's behalf, because the kid's too young to be expected to have the proper judgment.

[CCTAU 3,335]

Shucks, maybe everyone should start out at the highest level class, as a privilege you automatically start with, but can lose if you don't apply yourself.  The lower level classes can be where you're placed as an alternative to flunking and repeating a grade.

Question: at how early an age are you responsible for your future life? If a kid shows potential but is failing due to family noninvolvement and bad role models at home, is there something the system ought to do to prevent the kid from being on a path to failure?  If a third-grader isn't applying himself, are we gonna have a system where choices made at age 8 are allowed to determine the rest of his education into adulthood?  At some point, the grownups are supposed to be making decisions on the kid's behalf, because the kid's too young to be expected to have the proper judgment.

Everyone starts at the same level. People like you who want to nurture more than assign responsibility have created the mediocrity. I have already stated that if you do not show promise by 10 th grade...wood shop here you come. If you bloom late, join the army, they'll coddle you the correct way. A person loses his right to an education as soon as he infringes on other's right to an education. And family non-involvement and a bad role model is NOT the school's responsibility.

The school is to offer an education, if you choose not to get it, there is always the army. But for most LAZY folks, they choose welfare. Tie welfare to a mandatory degree and watch the rate of diplomas rise. And the rate of welfare recipients decrease.

And just maybe, after reading some of your posts.......

Those tests could have been wrong!