Report: Nation Still Has ‘Miles to Go’ to Increase Black Students’ Educational Opportunities

A new report by the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) points out that seventy years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, many Black students across the nation still do not have access to equitable educational opportunities in early childhood, K-12, or higher education compared with other students.

The report titled, "Miles To Go: The State of Education for Black Students in America" reveals data and research findings on a wide range of persistent inequities that many Black students still face today – from limited access to high-quality early childhood education to inequitable K-12 school funding, less-experienced teachers, fewer opportunities to take advanced courses, harmful school discipline practices, and lower rates of college affordability and access. 

“We still have much work to do to ensure that all students in this country — especially Black students — have access to the education they need and deserve,” said Raymond C. Pierce, the President and CEO of SEF. “Working together, we can address the challenges outlined in this report and strengthen our nation and every community.” 

For example, the report reveals that racial segregation in K-12 schools is dramatically increasing. In many states, school funding systems do not meet the needs of today’s students. Only about 4% of Black children under age 6 in the U.S. participate in high-quality state pre-K programs – even though research shows that high-quality early childhood programs can improve student achievement and lifelong success.

Additionally, teacher shortages across the nation are exacerbated by the relatively sparse numbers of Black educators. Black Americans are disproportionately burdened by college-tuition debt and only about 12.5% of college students are Black. Disproportionately low numbers of Black students have the same access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses as many of their peers.

“This report compiles data at all levels of education to show that so-called ‘achievement gaps,’ which we focus on too often in education, are only symptoms of the real issue — that many Black students face substantial opportunity gaps, meaning they simply aren’t afforded the same learning opportunities as other students,” said Max Altman, SEF’s director of research and policy and the lead author of the report. “We owe all students an equal opportunity to succeed, and our failure to address these systemic issues in education holds all of us back.”