Success of Minority Students

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the book "The Color of Success: Race and High-Achieving Urban Youth," written by Gilberto Conchas. The paper discusses the issues raised in the book, such as the academic success that some minorities manage to achieve, despite the fact that the opportunities many of them have are not strong. It particularly discusses the importance of teaching.

From the Paper:

"Studies have also shown that disparities between Caucasians and minorities are growing. This is believed to be the result of tracking, since tracking puts someone in a specific category or class and does not allow them to take classes that are more difficult. Effectively, the school is saying that they do not believe a particular student is smart enough to grasp a higher concept. This often puts them at a disadvantage, not only in their academic life but in their social life, as there is often a stigma attached to remedial or "retarded" classes (Chaddock, 2000). While not all of the minority students that Conchas (2006) spoke with were in these types of classes, it is sadly too often the case that they will be found there. However, the success stories that Conchas (2006) discusses also offer a lot of hope for urban and/or minority students that are struggling with the idea that they will never be able to succeed in life or get out of the poverty that they were born into. With the proper encouragement and opportunities, however, this can easily be changed for the better for many of these students."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chaddock, G.R. (2000). Mixed messages on math as 12th graders falter. Christian Science Monitor. http://csmweb2.emcweb.com/durable/2001/08/03/text/p2s1.html.
• Conchas, G. (2006). The Color of Success: Race and High-Achieving Urban Youth. Teacher College Press.
• Denevi, E. (2003). Helping White Students and Educators Understand Their Role in a Multicultural Society. National Association of Independent Schools. http://nais.org/ pubs/ismag.cfm?file_id=933&ismag _id=1.
• Gorman, L. (2003). School style can raise achievement. National Bureau of Economic Research. http://www.nber.org/digest/jul01/w7985.html.
• Holmes, C.T. & Ahr, T.J. (1994). Effects of ability grouping on academic achievement and self-concept of African-American and white students. The Clearing House: 294-298.

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