New ACT Scores Show Troubling Race Dynamic

As the representation of minorities in American public education system grows with every passing year, the situation with higher education, at least according to the latest ACT scores, remains more or less unchanging. Of all the students who took the ACT college admissions test in 2013 only 39% can be considered ready to enter college, which is already a pretty discouraging figure; but for the representatives of minorities this percentage looks even less promising: only 11% of African-American and 18% of Hispanic students meet the requirements presented by the testing company, while 49% of white and 57% of Asian students have passed the test. According to Lee Baker, associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Duke University, this statistic shows that despite all efforts education in the United States is still not equal for everybody. In addition to that, public education is funded by local taxation, while in rich neighborhoods local schools often receive considerable donations from private parties. In addition to that, access to high-quality private schools is available only to the more well-to-do families. Jon Erickson, ACT president, has also expressed his concern over the situation – although in 2013 the composition of ACT test-takers was more diverse than ever before, actual percentage of successes remains more or less the same, even though the participation of minorities grows steadily. It should be taken into consideration that the ACT scores are by definition higher than average performance across American senior students in general, because the test is mostly taken by students who are already going to apply for college and were likely to prepare themselves to this task more or less extensively. The percentage of graduates taking this test, however, grows steadily and saw 18% increase since 2010, which means that higher education keeps getting more desirable, while the actual readiness is lagging behind. On average, the proportion of students who met the ACT benchmarks in all four tested disciplines (English, science, math and reading) increased by about 2% across the nation. What is to be done about this problem? Some, like Georgetown University professor Anthony Carnevale, believe that the criteria presented by the ACT test are too high, and in order to increase the percentage of success we should lower the standards. He calls the public attention to the fact that ACT is, essentially, only a probability statement, it cannot define with complete certainty whether this particular student is or isn’t going to successfully graduate. The representatives of educational system are calling for action, but it is rather hard to understand what measures they consider to be acceptable and how they are going bridge this achievement gap. After all, privileged or unprivileged status is not the only thing one’s racial background comes with. There is also culture, traditions and mentality which, to a very large degree, define how an individual behaves in life. Asian minority, for example, is just as foreign for the United States – so why is it doing so much better than all the others?

Tolerance in The Freedom Writers Diary - 780 Words

The Freedom Writers Diary Essay The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell and her students show many great examples of the vast importance of tolerance. This novel is about one teacher who taught her students tolerance and knowledge. This novel even shares how to support tolerance and diversity. Tolerance is important to have in this world because without tolerance, there can be no peace The Freedom Writers Diary shows how the students learn tolerance. In Diary 36, the student writes â€Å"’Why should I read books about people that don’t look like me? People that I don’t even know and that I’m not going to understand because they don’t understand me?’ I thought I was a smart-ass for asking her this question. I thought to myself, ‘She’s not†¦show more content†¦The diary entry is primarily about her friend killing someone, and the wrong person getting accused. She saw the event and now has to testify, but is unsure whether or not she should tell the truth, or lie to protect her friend. Because of her memories and her mother’s words, she told the truth. The teachers can teach about the correlation of tolerance and peace. Tolerance helps to promote peace in many ways. In Diary 18, a student writes, â€Å"Brown, black, white, yellow,Show MoreRelatedFreedom Writers Movie Analysis1054 Words   |  5 Pages The movie and the book called Freedom Writers talk mostly about the same story. They have similarities, but also have differences. The story talks about the cruel misfortunes in students lives everyday. It mentions how students are drug addicts, living in fear everyday, gangsters, get abused, and another things people go through. This story takes place in Los Angeles, Ca where Erin Gruwell is going to teach at Wilson High School. She is a new teacher at this school and ready to change these studentsRead MoreFreedom Writers Critique1679 Words   |  7 PagesThe Freedom Writers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freedom Writers was released in 2007 on January 7. 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Utilizing Online Social Networking Sites Paper Free Essays

Utilizing Online Social Networking Sites Paper Class: BSHS/352 Technology is constantly expanding and making it easier and more convenient to communicate and network with individuals and various organizations that we may not otherwise of had the opportunity to connect with. One area of technology that is growing at a fast rate and offering individuals and businesses, rather it be their professional life or personal the opportunity to make lasting connections is social networking sites. Social networking has become an excellent tool for businesses and individuals to connect and share information that can prove vital to their business. We will write a custom essay sample on Utilizing Online Social Networking Sites Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are becoming popular and are an effective way to grow your business whether it is through networking with similar organizations and getting beneficial information from them or expanding your cliental by reaching out to those who may need or want your services. LinkedIn has become a vital tool used by the working professional, assisting them with making connections or linking up with other working professional to share what work and what doesn’t work as well as connecting them with local or online support groups or networking groups. Members of LinkedIn are able to create a profile that gives a detail list of their educational background as well as their work experience. Users are able to browse the social networking site to view the profiles of other individuals, organizations, or companies within their field and follow the organization of choice and their postings. My ultimate dream is to create a nonprofit organization that is geared toward targeting at risk youth and their families. The whole concept is to help the whole family and not just focus your attention on the youth that may be having emotional or behavioral issues but offer mental and emotional support for the entire family, implementing various programs and workshops that will assist the entire family in growing, working, and playing together. Networking sites like LinkedIn can prove to be vital as I take the steps necessary to make this dream a reality. As I was browsing through the site I came across a few groups in my local area that met up monthly for lunch to discuss the ideas and challenges of those looking to start a nonprofit. I also took the time to search for companies or organizations that were geared toward working with and advocating for children. I was really quite excited to be able to look at their profile, view their web pages and doing so helped me to get some ideas and get my juices flowing. I have considered making connections with the various organizations I have seen on LinkedIn in hope that they could link me to information, people, and training opportunities that could possibly put me one step closer to my dream. I am also interested in going to the next luncheon for nonprofit communicators in Raleigh just to get feedback regarding my idea and you never know someone at one of these luncheons could either help me get closer to making my dream a reality or can link me to an individual or organization who can. I have found sites such as LinkedIn can prove to be extremely beneficial in making lasting connections within the business community and it gives those with businesses the opportunity to link up with other businesses to get feedback, advice, and possibly connect you with someone who can help you take your organization or company to the next level. This site also enables professionals to come together with the common ground of helping and motivating each other. Within the human service field this site can connect you to so many resources that can only assist in providing your clients with the ultimate experience. Having a site where human service workers from all fields and from all areas can come together online and share their experience, advice, and resources can prove to be helpful to the community as a whole. LinkedIn not only connect likeminded people but it offers an opportunity to share information regarding training and workshops that could assist organizations in staying up to date with the latest software and/or regulations. Such training and workshops can keep your organization competitive and allows you to offer your clients the best possible service. The best way to keep any business or organization growing is to continue to gain knowledge in your particular field. Always be willing and open to learning and growing, this is what the training and workshops are there for to assist businesses and organizations in improving their techniques and staying relevant and competitive. Sites such as LinkedIn can offer you the ability to gain knowledge and training from some very successful people. Human service workers who use online social networking sites such as LinkedIn can find being affiliated with professional groups and connections to offer more than just sharing experiences, advice, training, and connections to resources. Another benefit to being a part of an online community such as LinkedIn is the ability to request referrals from the connections you met online. Users can also request sponsorships or recommendations from other users. Human service workers who are affiliated with sites such as LinkedIn may also be able to connect with local churches that could assist connecting the human service worker to the communities that need their assistance the most. Employers often look at profiles on these online social networking sites to assist them in finding employees as well. Although social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are excellent tools to stay connected to various resources there are other technical tools that can be used to expand and maintain your connections. Smartphones have proven to be a vital tool to use as well with various applications directed at making the life of professionals easier. The goal of a human service worker is to effectively and efficiently assist the client in improving their lives and often times this requires connecting them to other resources. Social networking sites such as LinkedIn can assist human service workers in making numerous connections all at the touch of a mouse to various resources and training opportunities. Having online support that provide advice, training, and encouragement, of the human service worker can assist them in helping their clients meet their goals. Reference: 2012. LinkedIn. com. 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