Badger InstituteBadger Institute
  • Home
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Federalism
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
  • Newsletter
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Subscribe for Updates

Get the latest news and updates from Badger Institute.

What's New

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
TRENDING:
  • Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble
  • Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband
  • The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling
  • If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility
  • Foreseeing the Future of Wisconsin’s Flat Tax
  • Wisconsin voters will be asked about welfare work requirements
  • A state without convictions
  • Why Wisconsin Needs a Flat Tax and Education Reform
  • Donate
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
  • Issues
    • Taxes
    • Education
    • Crime & Justice
    • Spending & Accountability
    • Economy & Infrastructure
    • Federalism
    • Licensing
    • Healthcare
    • Civil Society
  • Mandate for Madison
  • Research
  • Magazines
    • Diggings
    • Wisconsin Interest
  • Events
  • Media
    • Podcast
    • Fact Sheets
    • Viewpoints
    • Press Releases
    • Badger in the News
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Testimony
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • Visiting Fellows
    • America’s Future
    • Careers
Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
DONATE
Badger InstituteBadger Institute
Home » Education » The Achievement Gap in Milwaukee Public Schools
Education

The Achievement Gap in Milwaukee Public Schools

By Badger InstituteJune 2, 2007
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

Outcomes by gender, race, and income level

By Sammis White, Ph.D.

In the last year numerous headlines have appeared in the news media that suggest a large gender problem exists in our schools. The New York Times said: “Boys are No Match for Girls in Completing High School.” Another from the Times: Dire Problems for Young Black Men, Several New Academic Studies Warn.” Locally, the Journal Sentinel featured a story that “Boys learn differently from girls, studies say.” And last July in the results of a national study Wisconsin fared worst in the nation in what was termed the state Education Inequality Index, the difference between graduation rates of black males and white males. The gap in Wisconsin was 47 points, the difference between a graduation rate of 38% for black males and 84% for white males across the state.

There is also a growing literature that bemoans the treatment boys are receiving in education today. The claim is that males learn differently and that those differences work against them in schools that teach to the girls’ way of learning. They cite evidence of higher grades, higher high school graduation rates of girls, higher rates of college attendance among young women, and higher grades in college. Boys, these critics complain, are getting the short end of the stick.

On the other hand, another group claims that the issue is that girls are finally being given the education that they deserve and that both sexes are doing better overall. One only need to note that the majority of college students today are women to know that girls are finally competing well with boys, at least on many indicators.

But even those who argue that females are only beginning to equal males realize that certain males— minority and low-income— are not doing well. These defenders of girls’ achievements admit that “academic performance for minority boys is often shockingly low.”8 This is certainly the case in Milwaukee where minority test scores and graduation rates are significantly behind those of white students in the district and even further behind those of white students in the rest of the state.

Milwaukee Public Schools’ (MPS) test scores have not been rising for several years, despite a host of initiatives (Figure 1). The district has seen an increase in the proportion of low-income students, so holding scores steady may be an accomplishment, modest though it may be. But stability in scores is not enough. There are numerous compelling reasons why achievement levels must rise. A recent report on MPS reveals that outside reviewers see MPS as far too complacent with its non-gains.9 The reviewers insist that more pressure be placed on MPS for gains in student achievement.

Pressure alone is not sufficient. We need a better understanding of what factors may be most influential in the low scores that have been commonplace in MPS. The new report cites the decentralization of authority as a contributor to no steady gains. MPS administration is now trying to reverse that (re-centralize), so that it can have a greater role in curriculum and budget decisions, among other points. But few view management style as the determining factor in educational outcomes.

A factor, however, that may be playing a role is the failure to teach in ways that helps the majority of males achieve at higher levels. According to one source, African-American males in MPS, for example, have a graduation rate of about 31%, and Hispanic males have an estimated graduation rate of 36%.10 The white male rate of graduation from MPS is estimated to be 66%, suggesting something is out of kilter for minority males, not to mention the system as a whole. What must also be noted is that the minority females, while doing better than comparable males, have not achieved at close to white female levels in the district. The African-American female graduation rate is estimated at 46%, Hispanic female, 50%, and white female, 75%. This is just one measure, albeit a critical one, of achievement.

Do these differences among these groups start at young ages or do they develop over time, perhaps as peer pressure gets stronger? Do the differences vary by subject area or are boys behind girls in levels of achievement on every subject? And do Hispanic males and females more closely follow the patterns of achievement for whites or for African-Americans? These are important questions to answer, because the answers can lead to more appropriate curricula and teaching methods.

If gender differences are not an issue, then we can look for other factors that might make better targets for interventions. Given the media coverage, we look first to the gender differences.

Vol20no6Download

Reports
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
Badger Institute

Related Posts

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

Amid illiteracy, where was the urgency?

February 23, 2023

Family finds education freedom a “godsend”

February 16, 2023
Categories
Top Posts

Local pols filling old budget holes with massive COVID aid

December 8, 20221,454

This is not four years ago

November 10, 20221,287

A state without convictions

January 12, 2023647

Billions in federal spending in Wisconsin unaudited; results never measured

November 9, 2022491
Archives

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

Connect with Badger Institute
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
About Us
About Us

The Badger Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institute established in 1987 working to engage and energize Wisconsinites and others in discussions and timely action on key public policy issues critical to the state’s future, growth and prosperity.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Sign Up for Top Picks

Our weekly e-Newsletter with the latest items and updates

What’s New

Latest crime figures show a Milwaukee in trouble

March 23, 2023

Wisconsin lawmakers in the dark on broadband

March 16, 2023

The underfunded part of Wisconsin public schooling

March 16, 2023

If we don’t pay for roads, we don’t get mobility

March 9, 2023
© 2023 Badger Institute | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Sitemap

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience.

Privacy settings

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.

CRM Software

Customer Relationship Management Software

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity.

For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy & Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

Powered by Cookie Information