Tyrone N. Butts
APE Reporter
16
Black-white graduation gap at U. of I.
The gap in graduation rates between blacks and whites at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is among the largest of any public school in the country and twice the median rate, data from a new study show.
Yet the data also show that the African-American graduation rate at U. of I. -- 62 percent -- is among the highest in the country.
The Education Trust, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group, compiled the data in a report released Wednesday, "One Step from the Finish Line: Higher College Graduation Rates Are Within Our Reach.'' The group analyzed data from the Education Department covering nearly all schools in the country.
The data cover students who entered school in 1997 and graduated within six years or less.<b
r>
But black grad rate in top 7%
In general, the U. of I.
outperformed the more than 500 public four-year schools in the country. Its graduation rate for whites, 84 percent, is far higher than the median rate for whites nationwide, 47 percent. And the U. of. I.'s graduation rate for blacks puts it in the top 7 percent of schools nationwide; the median rate was only 37 percent.
But the 22 percentage-point gap between the two groups, the study found, was among the highest at any large public school in the country. Kevin Carey, author of the study, said the U. of I. and similar schools such as the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and University of California at Berkeley need to do more to address the disparity.
"If your whites are consistently graduating at higher rates than your minority students, that's a problem,'' Carey said. "That's something schools should take a look at to understand the obstacles for minorities a
nd overcome them.''
U. of I. officials said they were taking steps to address the large gap, which has narrowed slig
htly since 1989, when it was 26 percent. The black graduation rate at the time was 55 percent.
"We are aware of this and are concerned about it,'' said associate provost Ruth Watkins. "While we are proud of having good graduation rates, we cannot rest when there is an achievement gap among students of various racial backgrounds.''
Economic factors cited
Watkins said she did not have reliable data on why the gap persists but said she suspected economic factors play a role. "We would like to better understand financial situations and how they impede their ability to stay in school,'' she said. She said African-American enrollment is about 8 percent.
Daniel Williams, president of the Black Graduate Students Association, said many blacks coming from segregated neighborhoods in Chicago have difficulty making
the transition to the community.
"You can go the entire day without seeing another black person,'' said Williams, 23, of Hyde Park.
He also said some black students who atten
ded city schools aren't as prepared as some whites from suburban school districts.
He praised a program that assigns graduate students to serve as advisers for minority freshmen. His adviser talked him out of transferring to the University of Michigan after he had a problem with a roommate who had no experience with blacks before. "It was a shock for both of us,'' he said.
Williams, who got his bachelor's degree last May, is in a doctorate program and serves as an adviser to new students. The school needs more such support services to reduce the graduation gap, he said.
***********
As close to heaven as you can get!
T.N.B.
Black-white graduation gap at U. of I.
The gap in graduation rates between blacks and whites at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is among the largest of any public school in the country and twice the median rate, data from a new study show.
Yet the data also show that the African-American graduation rate at U. of I. -- 62 percent -- is among the highest in the country.
The Education Trust, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group, compiled the data in a report released Wednesday, "One Step from the Finish Line: Higher College Graduation Rates Are Within Our Reach.'' The group analyzed data from the Education Department covering nearly all schools in the country.
The data cover students who entered school in 1997 and graduated within six years or less.<b
r>
But black grad rate in top 7%
In general, the U. of I.
outperformed the more than 500 public four-year schools in the country. Its graduation rate for whites, 84 percent, is far higher than the median rate for whites nationwide, 47 percent. And the U. of. I.'s graduation rate for blacks puts it in the top 7 percent of schools nationwide; the median rate was only 37 percent.
But the 22 percentage-point gap between the two groups, the study found, was among the highest at any large public school in the country. Kevin Carey, author of the study, said the U. of I. and similar schools such as the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and University of California at Berkeley need to do more to address the disparity.
"If your whites are consistently graduating at higher rates than your minority students, that's a problem,'' Carey said. "That's something schools should take a look at to understand the obstacles for minorities a
nd overcome them.''
U. of I. officials said they were taking steps to address the large gap, which has narrowed slig
htly since 1989, when it was 26 percent. The black graduation rate at the time was 55 percent.
"We are aware of this and are concerned about it,'' said associate provost Ruth Watkins. "While we are proud of having good graduation rates, we cannot rest when there is an achievement gap among students of various racial backgrounds.''
Economic factors cited
Watkins said she did not have reliable data on why the gap persists but said she suspected economic factors play a role. "We would like to better understand financial situations and how they impede their ability to stay in school,'' she said. She said African-American enrollment is about 8 percent.
Daniel Williams, president of the Black Graduate Students Association, said many blacks coming from segregated neighborhoods in Chicago have difficulty making
the transition to the community.
"You can go the entire day without seeing another black person,'' said Williams, 23, of Hyde Park.
He also said some black students who atten
ded city schools aren't as prepared as some whites from suburban school districts.
He praised a program that assigns graduate students to serve as advisers for minority freshmen. His adviser talked him out of transferring to the University of Michigan after he had a problem with a roommate who had no experience with blacks before. "It was a shock for both of us,'' he said.
Williams, who got his bachelor's degree last May, is in a doctorate program and serves as an adviser to new students. The school needs more such support services to reduce the graduation gap, he said.
***********
As close to heaven as you can get!
T.N.B.
