New standards and old inequalities: School reform and the education of African American students

Despite the rhetoric of American equality, the school experiences of African American and other minority students in the United States continue to be substantially separate and unequal. Dramatically different learning opportunities-especially disparities in access to well-qualified teachers, high quality curriculum, and small schools and classes-are strongly related to differences in student achievement. Standards-based reforms have been launched throughout the United States with promises of greater equity, but, while students are held to common standards-and increasingly experience serious sanctions if they fail to achieve them-few states have equalized funding and access to the key educational resources needed for learning. This paper outlines current disparities in educational access and proposes reforms needed to equalize opportunities to learn.