A new report from the U.S Government Accountability Office finds that the percentage of the nation’s K-12 public schools that have a large majority of low-income, Black or Hispanic students has grown significantly since the turn of the century.
The data shows that in 2000, 9 percent of all K-12 schools had at least 75 percent Black or Hispanic students from low-income families. By the 2013-14 school year, the figure had increased to 16 percent. The statistics show that in 2000, 32 percent of all Black K-12 students in the nation attended “high-poverty” schools. By 2013-14, the figure had increased to 48 percent.
The study also found that these schools with high percentage of Black or Hispanic students from low-income families tended to have fewer mathematics, science, and college preparatory courses than other schools. And these schools had higher rates of student suspensions, expulsions, and students who were held back a grade.
The full report, K-12 Education: Better Use of Information Could Help Agencies Identify Disparities and Address Racial Discrimination, may be downloaded by clicking here.
