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Elizabeth Klein

Mr. Jason King

A.P. Seminar

27 September 2016

Independent Research Essay

As awareness of mass incarceration increases, it becomes apparent that there are

considerable differences in opportunities presented to white and black communities. These

differences cannot be resolved without first identifying their cause. Although many factors may

contribute to racial disparities in prison rates, one in particular stands out among the rest. That

factor is racism in the education system. Education is the cornerstone of society. Education

should provide youth with the groundwork that helps them become intelligent, self-thinking, and

accomplished individuals. It should be a lifeline that lifts students from ignorance to

enlightenment and keeps them out of trouble. Although education should have these effects on

all students alike, the divide between white and black students in this area is prominent and

consequential. Recent research shows that there is a gap in the academic performance rates and

incarceration rates between the two groups. The correlation here is the result of prejudice in the

education system. Reforms must be made to change the racial disparities that are reflected in

prison rates so that society can be just.

According to Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee, there is a substantial

difference in academic proficiency levels between white and black students (Lee). The author

cites a report conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics that shows that the gap

between the reading and math scores for white and black high school seniors was 30 points,
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where white students had higher scores (Aud). Lee also states that black students were found to

be nearly four times more likely than their white counterparts to attend a school where less than

80% of their schools teachers are certified (Lee). Another article written by a Google Scholar

claims that African American students do not have access to the same high school math and

science courses (Cook). This means that black students are simply not given the same

opportunities to advance as white students, and the leaders of the educational system do not put

the same amount of focus into predominantly black schools. This discrimination is not just

happening in schools that are white or black. It is happening in schools everywhere across the

country.

Zero-tolerance policies are being implemented in schools at alarming rates.

Zero-tolerance policies mean that a school can mete out a punishment to a violator of a specific

school rule without examining the circumstances of the violation. A report conducted by the

NCES proves that at least 79% of schools implemented these policies in 1997 (DeVoe, et al.) in

order to discourage criminal behavior on school campuses. These policies are statistically

harsher on black students; however, research shows that African American students are not the

ones always committing the crime. Michelle Alexander writes in her book The New Jim Crow

that white youth are more likely to participate in drug dealing and use (Alexander 99). In some

cases, white students are committing violations without repercussions while black students are

being held accountable. The punishments for these discriminatory policies do much more than

meets the eye.

Zero-tolerance policies are proven to cause increases in suspension and expulsion rates,

especially among black students. As Nancy Heitzeg (the Chair of Sociology at St. Catherines
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University) explains in a report about zero-tolerance policies, black students are three times more

likely to be expelled than white students (Heitzeg). Heitzeg explains that suspension and

expulsion increase high school dropout rates (Heitzeg), and the NCES says that 6.8% of black

students drop out, compared to 1.6% of white students (Stark). Recent research from a report

written by two Economics professors shows that the higher ones education level, the less likely

they are to go to jail (Lochner and Moretti). All these factors compounded make for a scary

situation that is unfortunately becoming increasingly likely for members of the black community.

In essence; if a black student is more likely to be suspended or expelled and more likely to drop

out of school, then they are more likely to end up in prison. This means that zero-tolerance

policies are putting students in prison rather than keeping them out of trouble, and they are doing

this with racial bias. This may explain part of the reason why 1 in every 14 black men and 1 in

every 106 white men went to jail in 2006 (Alexander 100). Educational procedures in

predominantly black schools force them into jail and add to the disproportionate number of white

and black prisoners.

To fix these disparities, changes to the education system must be made. Educational

policies should never be the reason that students enter the school-to-prison pipeline (Heitzeg).

The first modification that must occur is the reformation of school codes such as zero tolerance

policies. Administrators should either discontinue the use of them, or reconsider what

constitutes as a non-tolerable offense so that they do not dole out punishments with such a heavy

hand for African American students. The second is implementing more after-school programs to

combat juvenile crime rates for all races. Statistics show that if students are involved in

after-school programs (involving academics, community services, and/or personal development),

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they are less likely to participate in crime, violence, and substance abuse (Newman). If these

programs are utilized in more schools, then perhaps schools would not deal out hasty

punishments that target black students. If these changes are made, then the unreasonable

numbers of African American people in jail may become more even.

Before I conducted the research in this essay, I believed that racially disproportionate

prison rates were a cause of socioeconomic disparities between white and black communities.

However, after extensively studying this topic, the dissimilar educational approach between

black and white students is an obvious key factor to consider. Too many American schools have

policies in place that discriminate against black students. The system is riddled with racism

because it treats black and white students differently. The statistics I cited demonstrate this bias,

and contribute to my argument that educational policies favor one ethnicity over another. As a

result, black lives are negatively affected. Although in a few instances the research available to

me was slightly outdated, the general ideas remain the same, and are exemplified by more

modern sources throughout this essay. My citations show that the prejudice present in American

education starts a chain of events that may explain racial disparity in the criminal justice system.

Reforms must be made to these procedures to ensure that students do not enter the

school-to-prison pipeline, especially at racially prejudiced numbers. Changes must always be

made so that society can move forward into progress.

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Works Cited

Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow. The New Press, 2011, pp. 99-100.

Aud, Susan. The Condition of Education 2013. National Center for Education Statistics,

www.nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013037.pdf. Accessed 4 Oct. 2016.

Cook, Lindsey. U.S. Education: Still Separate and Unequal. U.S. News & World Report, 28

Jan. 2015, www.goo.gl/fYB1Pp. Accessed 24 Sept. 2016.

DeVoe, Jill F., et al. Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2002. National Center for

Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003009.pdf. Accessed 13 Oct. 2016.

Heitzeg, Nancy A. "Education Or Incarceration: Zero Tolerance Policies And The School To

Prison Pipeline." Forum On Public Policy Online, 2009. ERIC,

www.files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ870076.pdf. Accessed 26 Sept. 2016.

Lee, Trymaine. Education racial gap wide as ever according to NAEP. MSNBC, 7 May 2014,

www.goo.gl/BzoqUZ. Accessed 25 Sept. 2016.

Lochner, Lance, and Enrico Moretti. "The Effect Of Education On Crime: Evidence From Prison

Inmates, Arrests, And Self-Reports." American Economic Review, vol. 94, no. 1, 2001,

pp. 155-189.

Newman, Sanford A.. "America's After-School Choice: The Prime Time For Juvenile

Crime, Or Youth Enrichment And Achievement." ERIC, 2000,

www.files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED445823.pdf. Accessed 23 Sept. 2016.

Stark, Patrick. "Trends In High School Dropout And Completion Rates In The United

States: 1972-2012. Compendium Report. NCES 2015-015." National Center For

Education Statistics, www.nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015015.pdf. Accessed 23 Sept. 2016.