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[Nadaka]

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/10/12/florida-passes-plan-for-racially-based-academic-goals/
http://www.nwpr.org/post/firestorm-erupts-over-virginias-education-goals

So, virginia and florida are varying the required test scores by race, ignoring socioeconomic factors in favor of racial profiling and  promoting the idea that minorities (other than asians) are inferior.

[Frumple]

"Florida happily displays its proclivity toward being full of racist fucks, again" was my initial reaction, though that's obviously influenced by being in the part of the state that really is full of racist fucks (especially in the town I'm currently mostly stuck in, which on last census -- or possibly the one before that, so it might have like... quintupled* since then -- had an african american population of one. Not one percent. One.).

Actually reading through the article, my reaction is still mostly that, but there's some weird stuff going on too, apparently, such as the decision being influenced by provisions of the no-child-left-behind act and the apparent fact that other groupings (such as socioeconomic factors, or at least poverty) is also included (leading to the question of why the hell you need the racial profiling, then?). Still pretty damned reprehensible, but at least there's some nominal other factors involved.

*Which would still leave that demographic in the single digits.

E: Also, the florida numbers appear to be considerably less racist (if that's even a sliding scale thing at all, and not just binary) than the virginia one. Congratulations, Virginia! You've achieved the accomplishment no one actually wants: Out bigoting Florida.

[Reelya]

I'll play devil's advocate here, since the article isn't saying that non-whites have lower targets individually, they're state targets for how many of each demographic group reach the same standards.

If 80% of whites were graduating, and only 50% of blacks were graduating, setting a goal by 2020 of 60% blacks graduating would NOT be racist, it would be realist.

[GlyphGryph]

I... don't actually have a problem with that. They want to see improvements across all demographics, but are setting reasonable targets based on where the demographics are now. (And one of those demographics happens to be race, but others aren't and there is overlap)

If you're going to be setting targets of this sort, this seems like one of the better ways to do it.

Their expectations for an individual student aren't any lower, after all - and they are hoping to get more from more students, period, than they were before.

Eh, I don't know.

[Scelly9]

I... don't actually have a problem with that. They want to see improvements across all demographics, but are setting reasonable targets based on where the demographics are now. (And one of those demographics happens to be race, but others aren't and there is overlap)

If you're going to be setting targets of this sort, this seems like one of the better ways to do it.

Their expectations for an individual student aren't any lower, after all - and they are hoping to get more from more students, period, than they were before.

Eh, I don't know.

Yeah, pretty much this. I don't see a problem here.

[misko27]

I have to say. I just don't freaking understand Florida. At all. What the hell is up with them. I mean, one would think, in a world ruled by logic, that a swing-state would be moderate yes? But no. it acts like a stereotypical southern state, like the ones that have still not apologized for thier Eugenics programs, or the ones that teach Creationism Hell, there is a town in florida where Satan is illegal. He can't go there. seriously (ACLU showed up and intervened, o now he isn't allowed on public property.). I mean what, do the democrats there just not vote until presidential elections?

[Urist Imiknorris]

Satan gives zero shits about your laws. He's already stuck in Hell for eternity, so what could you possibly do to him?

[Darvi]

Ditto even if he does turn up there. So you want to arrest the Prince of Lies? Tough luck.

[Urist Imiknorris]

"I'm not Satan! I'm... Santa. Yes, that's it. Santa. Ho ho ho, merry Christmas, and all that!"

[misko27]

Ditto even if he does turn up there. So you want to arrest the Prince of Lies? Tough luck.

They have Prince of Darkness covered though. And "leader of men astray". But he is allowed, just not on public property.

[Reelya]

"I'm not Satan! I'm... Santa. Yes, that's it. Santa. Ho ho ho, merry 666mas, and all that!"

FTFY

It's also suspicious that Santa's last name is "Claws" and he likes the color red, and horned animals. And he demands sacrifices, whilst coming down the chimney in winter (with the fire going I imagine). Saint Nicholaus is the old name for Santa, whilst Old Nick is a name for the devil. The list just goes on and on.

[Darvi]

Well he is allowed on public property during December. *insert obvious Santa Clause pun*

[penguinofhonor]

Are these grade things on actual class grades or on standardized testing? If I recall correctly, students of color tend to do worse on standardized tests than white students even if both students have the same abilities otherwise.

[Reelya]

Are these grade things on actual class grades or on standardized testing? If I recall correctly, students of color tend to do worse on standardized tests than white students even if both students have the same abilities otherwise.

I read some stuff on that which was of dubious scholarship. Well, not so much the research, as the interpretation.

The researchers assumed that black kids felt that they themselves would do badly on the tests, because they were black, so they in fact did badly. The researchers then gave the black kids a "pep talk", and they performed better. Hence "proving" that black kids were biased to believe they'd do badly - because they were black. e.g. self-racism.

But this kind of sounds like circular logic, since they were using the assumptions to prove the assumptions. Also, it's also non-scientific, since they only gave pep-talks to the black kids and evaluated them against "standard" scores of white kids, without considering that ALL the kids might have "jitters" about their up-coming test performance.

[penguinofhonor]

I'll admit i haven't seen any actual scholarship on the topic, and I only got the same things you did when I googled it just now.

What I heard a long time ago was that pretty much all of the word problems and passages and stuff were things that were relevant to middle class white culture, and although the unfamiliarity with it wasn't going to make other kids fail it was enough to make them lose a few points on average.