Facing Identity Conflicts, Black Students Fall Behind : NPR: Second in a series about the minority achievement gap in schools
The identity issues facing middle-class black and Latino teenagers might be a clue as to why they don't do as well academically as their white and Asian counterparts, some researchers and educators say. The teens often live in dual worlds: the suburban one they live in, and the rougher street life they see glorified in the media.
Known as the 'minority achievement gap,' the lower average test scores, grades and college attendance by black and Latino students have long perplexed researchers. Many have focused on the values and attitudes of students and whether black students think doing well in school is 'acting white.'
Stereotypes And Students' Self-Image
Columbia High School sociology teacher Melissa Cooper begins class by projecting a collage of faces onto a screen and asking students what they would think if they saw these people walking down the street. The students say the Latino-looking guy is a drug lord. The white guy in a tweed suit is smart.
'How does he look like he's smart?' Cooper asks.
