The 2010 Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males was released this week by the Schott Foundation (Read the whole thing for yourself HERE). In Illinois, only 47% of black males who start high school graduate. That compares to 83% of its white males. Only four states have a larger gap–New York, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Also stunning is the fact that even with that abysmal showing, Illinois is right on the median national average (though it should be noted that 36 states graduated a higher percentage of Black male students than Illinois did.
Also jaw droppingly horrible: Chicago’s rate of 44% qualifies it as 17th out of the 59 “large districts” included in the study. New York City is 50th graduating 29% of the 167, 277 students who started high school in 2003-2004.
The Schott Foundation tried to emphasize the good news–NJ had some impressive results–but it is very, very not good news overall.
I don’t know what to do, but it’ll have to be something…
The Harold Lounge 