Students and schools work to close achievement gap

Some local high school students are taking an active role in closing the minority achievement gap.

The city school district sent selected students to the annual Minority Student Achievement Network Conference in Princeton, N.J., held last month.

Elizabeth Carter, chairwoman of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education, participated in a similar conference on behalf of the school board.

Graig Meyer, district coordinator for the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program, said the student conference is designed to teach school districts about minority issues in the education system, as well as to bring together minority students and give them motivation and a sense of camaraderie.

"I've been to several of the conferences, and every time that I go it reminds me of how powerful students' voices are," Meyer said.

The conference was held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, and the agenda included a presentation from Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the "Little Rock Nine" who integrated public schools in 1957.

Students also worked in small groups to draft policy recommendations dealing with minority achievement issues.

After the conference, local students presented their experiences and ideas to the school board.

Some of their ideas included holding student "rap sessions" facilitated by teachers and a volunteer mediation network between parents and students.

The board listened to the students and genuinely cared about their proposals, said Deryle Daniels, a junior at Chapel Hill High School and one of the students who attended the conference.

"Their voices are important. That's who we work for," said Dorothy McGirt, coordinator for Advancement via Individual Determination for the district.

She added that students seldom get a chance to report to the school board.

Some of the strategies the district is implementing come from the network that hosted the student conference, McGirt said.

School board member Mike Kelley said the board will study the students' ideas to see how they fit in with ongoing efforts.

The school district has worked since 1993 on closing the achievement gap, Meyer said.

The Minority Student Achievement Plan outlines the district's policies in relation to closing the gap.

But some still have concerns, despite the district's efforts.

While test scores are improving and teachers seem to understand the issues better, minority students are still relaying the same problems, Meyer said.

Stephanie Betancur, an East Chapel Hill High School senior who attended the conference, cited problems specific to minorities with Advanced Placement and honors classes.

She said teachers will sometimes try to make the class easier for these students because they are the only minority in the class. This can make minority students feel less capable, she said.

Daniels also said there is a need for social change in the schools.

"If there's no social reform we won't be able to learn from each other's mistakes," he said.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.