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EQUIP (Ensuring Quality and Unleashing Improved Performance) – # 5
Impact of Racial and Ethnic Diversity on Educational Outcomes
The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University Law School has launched a series of public school studies to determine what students in diverse schools and segregated schools learn in specific content areas and in preparation for adult life and work. The latest study focuses on Cambridge public schools, a diverse school system that has been significantly integrated for a number of years. Results from the study report positive education impacts of diversity for students.
Some key findings are:
- 81% of students report racial issues are explored (1 to 3 times a month) in classroom discussions in social studies or history
- 40% of students report that exposure to different cultures and experiences of different racial and ethnic groups has helped them (“quite a bit” or “a lot”) understand points of view different from their own; only 6% report such discussions did not change their understanding
- 95% of students report they are “comfortable” or “very comfortable” working with students from different race/ethnic groups on school projects
- 94% of students would be “very comfortable” or “somewhat comfortable” working with a supervisor of a different racial or ethnic background
- 90% of students are “interested” or “very interested” in going to a 4-year college (89% of African Americans and 78% of Latinos)
- 82% of students felt teachers had “strongly encouraged” or “somewhat encouraged” them to attend college (78% of African Americans and 86% of Latinos)
- 40% of students are “interested” or “very interested” in taking an AP mathematics course (50% of African Americans and 54% of Latinos); 58% are “interested” or “very interested” in taking an AP English course (52% of African Americans and 57% of Latinos”
- 53% of students felt teachers had “strongly encouraged” or “somewhat encouraged” them to take AP and/or Honors courses (43% of African Americans and 36% of Latinos)
Impact of Racial and
Ethnic Diversity on Educational Outcomes
The Civil Rights Project, Harvard University, January 2002
Complete report available at
http://www.law.harvard.edu/civilrights/publications/cambridgediversity/impact_diversity.html
http://www.law.harvard.edu/civilrights/publications/cambridgediversity/impact_diversity.pdf