The numbers aren’t pretty.
Black male students in Palm Beach County are suspended at alarmingly higher rates than white and Latino students, with a recent study finding that 53 percent of black male middle school students were suspended at least once in 2006. Black students in Palm Beach County are also less likely to graduate — fewer than a quarter earned a regular diploma in 2004, according to a national study.
“We have a huge problem,” said Gloria A. Crutchfield, the district’s director of secondary education. “Clearly there are concerns and issues that have to be addressed.”
In September, Superintendent Art Johnson formed the African American Task Force, a group charged with creating strategies to reduce suspensions and boost the graduation rate among black male students.
On Tuesday the group, comprised of educators, district officials, parents and community leaders, will hold its second Graduation Symposium to share information and generate ideas to combat the problem. The last symposium was held in October at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and attracted more than 400 people, Crutchfield said. She said she’s expecting a similar turnout for Tuesday’s three-hour symposium at Atlantic Community High School in Delray Beach.
A third symposium is scheduled for April, Crutchfield said.
The group is also planning to hold a student empowerment summit in April to get more feedback from students.
“It’s important for adults to plan, but we really need to hear from the students themselves,” Crutchfield said.
She said the group has talked to several parents whose kids have dropped out of school. Crutchfield said those parents told the group their kids felt isolated and that school didn’t matter.
Ten action teams are working on a suspension reduction plan to be presented to Johnson in late April or early May, Crutchfield said. Those teams are focusing on ten areas, including career readiness programs, student empowerment and parent/community involvement.
The outline of a preliminary plan was submitted in December, Crutchfield said.
Starting next week, the district will begin implementing its Peer to Peer Mentoring program in 16 schools, including Santaluces, Palm Beach Lakes and Atlantic, Crutchfield said. The eight-week program will train about 400 kids how to become mentors and develop leadership skills.
Palm Beach County School Board member Marcia Andrews said the district is going in the right direction with the symposiums.
“We need to learn what we can do better,” Andrews said. “It’s very important to hear and learn what’s being done around the country to help all our children.”
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