by Bob Schmidt

Created on: May 29, 2007

Closing the achievement gap between white children, and black children in K12 schools is a matter of a shift in attitudes, and expectations. If the gap is expected to exist, it will continue to exist. The expectation to succeed, and excel is the only valid limitation. This is not a product of intellect, or lack thereof.

The attitude to achieve begins at home, nurtured by loving parents. It is usually accompanied by high self-esteem. The failure of a child to have this trait is probably the failure of the family unit to reinforce these concepts. Positive reinforcement of this type of attitude can be aided in the classroom by a capable teacher, but those who teach such concepts to children at very early ages instill such concepts most effectively.

Possessing the attitude to achieve, and high self-esteem are not the only factors involved, to be sure. Not every child is destined to be another Einstein. Within my personal studies, I have never heard of a theory that any racial component is involved with respect to intelligence. Children must know this, they must believe that they have the capacity to achieve. From that point, a failure to achieve might indicate some type of learning problem.

There is one type of learning problem which does have a slight racial component to it. A young white teacher took a position in a predominantly black middle school in Los Angeles. When she complained about disciplinary problems within her classroom, her principal went to monitor her classroom. As one of her black students loudly responded to a question, the child was scolded for disrupting the class. Afterwards, the principal advised the young teacher that she needed to consider a factor regarding this "unruly" student. Being a member of a one-parent family with many siblings, it was normal for this child to shout for attention. It was not intended to be impolite, or disruptive. The cultural aspect of different behavior had not been considered by the young teacher. In no time at all, the young teacher adapted her expectations of her classrooms behavior, and discipline was no longer a problem.

There is no question that different people have different attitudes, and behaviors. By adapting, and never lowering one's expectations, positive results are surely at hand.

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