At a November webinar hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) focused on supporting academic achievement among Black students, attendees heard from state- and district-level leaders about successful initiatives and available resources.
In recent years, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and the CDE have facilitated work on the topic in many ways, such as convening a dedicated taskforce, sponsoring legislation, promoting literacy strategies and offering grants to support individuals pursuing a teaching credential.
Statewide assessment results for 2023–24 showed modest increases year-over-year in the number of Black/African American students meeting or exceeding standards in English language arts (+0.5 percent), math (+0.9 percent) and science (+0.8 percent).
“We’ve seen an increase in student proficiency on standardized and state tests for Black students in the areas of math, science and English language arts,” Thurmond said. “Applause to our students and in districts in places like Compton where we see broad growth for our Black students that we think are great spotlights for sharing with other districts so we can see the same kinds of success.”
Thurmond noted that while gains have been made in some areas, like a higher number of teachers of color who have completed their National Board Certification, resilience is needed to address issues like disproportionate discipline practices.
Linda Darling-Hammond, president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute and president of the State Board of Education, explained factors that boost achievement for low-income students and students of color, including:
- Having fully prepared, experienced teachers
- Enacting school finance reforms that increase funding for low-income students
- Access to high-quality preschool
- Having a Black teacher at least once in their early years
- Attending a community school
- Implementing social-emotional supports and restorative practices
“Black students gain most from all of these resources because they are the least likely to have had access to them,” Darling-Hammond said.
Resources
Educational consultant and member of the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA) Kenneth Wesson shared that the formula for Black student success is access to a high-quality education paired with equity in the allocation of resources and treatment of students. “What we find with many of our students, content is not the difficulty, sometimes treatment is the greatest obstacle in terms of how our students work and achieve in school,” Wesson said.
He pointed to CAAASA’s “Seven-Step Blueprint to Create a 5-Year CA Plan to Fulfill the Promise of Brown” document, which includes prompts on identifying action steps and timelines and highlights the importance of student engagement.
Officials from Fresno Unified School District were also on hand and discussed how participation in the African American Student Success Network has advanced local efforts, including a goal of increasing graduation and A-G completion rates for African American students.
“Our learning network has provided us with a collaborative network of local educational agencies that focus on closing the achievement gap for African American students utilizing data-driven, equity-focused initiatives,” said Principal on Special Assignment Kimberly Hendricks-Brown.
The CDE has a dedicated webpage with information and resources to aid LEAs in bolstering outcomes for Black students. View the page here.
