For too long, Arkansas has failed to provide low-income and black students the quality education they need and deserve. If children are to enjoy a future of opportunity and freedom to grow and thrive, we must demand action now.
Consider the lamentable state of these students in Arkansas today.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), more commonly known as the Nation's Report Card, black students in Arkansas significantly trail their white peers in fourth- and eighth-grade reading and writing performance. For example, only 5.6 percent of black students are proficient in eighth-grade math, lagging behind their white peers where 32.5 percent are scoring proficient. This gap is unforgivable. And if that's not enough, not only are black students trailing their white peers, their white peers are severely trailing the nation.
Sadly, this opportunity gap has hardly budged in 20 years. We cannot afford to wait and allow another generation of students to miss out on the chance for success in life.
There are a variety of ways for children to be educated--and doing the same thing we have done for decades is not going to change things for the better. If we are interested in educating all of our children, we need to reach for new solutions, including some that are working in other states.
Right now, if you have money you have choice--because you can afford to move to communities where schools work for your kids, or find the right fit with a private school, or pay for tutoring and other support. And you don't care what the unions or the government says--you're going to take care of your child no matter the cost.
All children, regardless of the color of their skin or the thickness of their family's wallet, deserve the same God-given chance to dream and to learn.
Thankfully, we don't have to guess at how to make things better. Other states, including our neighbors in the South, are making bold reforms that have helped many children improve their education experience.
Florida and Mississippi have opened educational options and tutoring for low-income families while maintaining traditional public-school funding. In Florida, 46 percent of pre-K-12 students are enrolled in educational options outside their zoned school.
After two decades of steady improvement, Florida made more progress than any other state in the nation, based on 2017 NAEP results. Every one of Florida's student subgroups--white, black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, students eligible for free/reduced lunch, students with disabilities and English-language learners--outperformed their national peers in fourth-grade reading and math.
Since 2011, Mississippi has prioritized early literacy and established high expectations for all students, as evidenced by its rigorous A-F school accountability system. And this dedication is paying off. Between 2015 and 2017, Mississippi ranked first in the nation on eighth-grade NAEP reading score growth. Mississippi improved by nearly half a grade level--the largest improvement made by any state during that period. Since 2003, Mississippi's fourth-grade students have moved more than a full grade level in math.
Although much remains to be done in both of these states, progress is being made with the same students we continue to fail in our state.
As a predominantly rural state, Arkansas faces significant challenges to providing educational opportunities. But the state has taken a few steps in the right direction. Recognizing that a solid foundation in reading greatly enhances a student's success in college and career, the state recently introduced the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence to increase the number of students reading on grade level.
In addition to public charter schools, which currently serve nearly 30,000 students, Arkansas created its first private school parent choice program--the Succeed Scholarship. This program now provides students with special needs the opportunity to choose the learning environment that best meets their unique needs and sets them on a path that increases their chances for success in school and in life.
But we must do more, and do it with fierce urgency and determination.
We cannot wait any longer. Whether it's expanding quality school options beyond the zoned school, expanding access to high-performing public charter schools or empowering families to customize a unique learning experience for their child, we must ensure that every student can attend a school that best meets his or her needs in preparing them for college and career readiness.
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Annie Abrams is a retired educator and a political, social, civic and community activist in Little Rock. Dr. Howard Fuller is a distinguished professor of education at Marquette University.
Editorial on 07/02/2018