Root cause of the achievement gap

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In Part Two of his article, At-Risk Sur-Thrival Begins Deep-Down In The Mind, Jon Pekel shares his view of the achievement gap. Here’s an edited excerpt.

“In my view, all too many well-meaning youth programs jump right to throwing time and money at solutions, without carefully defining the underlying root cause of the problem for which their solution, supposedly, is a corrective action. That’s why when I founded MyGrowthPlan.Org four years ago I spent months reviewing the achievement gap research and literature. Gradually, I came to the conclusion that the primary root cause of the achievement gap is NOT found in:

1. The low socio/economic status of some people of color
2. The still oppressive White mainline culture – that is, in white racism
3. Poorly performing teachers and schools, or in the
4. Inherent intellect or learning deficiencies of students of color.

Rather, in my view, the primary underlying root cause of the domestic and international achievement gap is found in some relatively recent, highly negative American youth development MINDSET values, beliefs, and attitudes & LIFESTYLE behaviors and practices. And, while our entire American culture exhibits some aspects of these negative youth development qualities, I believe they are particularly strong in some (but not all) segments of the Black and Latino communities, and in some segments of the White and Asian communities. But, as with earlier American sub-cultures, I believe these negative youth development orientations and practices are temporary and very fixable … if they are specifically identified, admitted, and addressed.”

Do you agree with this view of the primary root cause of the achievement gap?

Read the full article and share your comments here.

Comments

[Waid Johnson]

I have been working with youth for most of my professional life. First as a camp counselor then Outward Bound Instructor then Residential Treatment Child Care worker then Sexuality Educator, then…. The list goes on.

Geoffrey Canada is a young man who grew up in Harlem and got a Harvard Education. For more info go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Canada

I saw Geoffrey Canada speak over four years ago and recently heard him on Public Radio. It sounds like he is having great success.
He has started a social experiment with great success. His model is working with parents of infants getting parents to read to their children. The other important piece in the parent education is teaching parents alternatives to corporal punishment. He has made incredible strides in his short 20 years!

I will quote some thing from the web for a better description of what he is up to.

The work of Mr. Canada and Harlem Children Zone (HCZ) has become a national model and has been the subject of many profiles in the media. Their work has been featured on "60 Minutes," "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," "Nightline," "CBS This Morning," "The Charlie Rose Show," National Public Radio's "On Point," as well in articles in The New York Times, The New York Daily News, USA Today and Newsday.
http://www.hcz.org/what-is-hcz/about-geoffrey-canada

He teaches karate to instill discipline and offers medical help for the disproportionate number of children here who suffer from asthma. But in order to save the children, Canada says he has to save their parents first.

And that begins at the Baby College — a nine-week workshop that literally teaches new parents how to raise their kids so that they will enter school ready to learn.

"Middle-class families know education begins at birth. Poor parents don't know that," Canada explains. "We're just trying to tell the parents, 'Look you have to start giving them the kinds of stimulation that’s gonna help those brains develop.'"
I wonder if we as youth development workers need to get to the core of the problem by working with Parents and there ?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/11/60minutes/main1611936_page2.shtml

I wonder if we as professionals wanting to make the most impact on a populating caught up in a cycle of violence lack of education we would better spend our energy by working with Parents and infant children?