Organization Helps Increase Achievement of African-American Students

"The work of our community and District leaders led by the Task Force for African American Student Achievement will send a wave across America for how we will ensure success for African-American students,” said Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden. “The spirit of collaboration is truly making hope happen for San Bernardino City Unified.” Groundbreaking is one way to describe the work of the coalition, which after five months of analyzing data, observing classrooms, and interviewing hundreds of parents, has made six recommendations for boosting student success in San Bernardino city schools. Formed late last year, the task force is led by Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement—better known as COPE—and represents a spectrum of community organizations, among them the Westside Action Group, Young Visionaries, BLU Educational Foundation, the San Bernardino chapter of the NAACP, Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of San Bernardino, Youth Action Project, Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches, and the Black Voice Foundation. The task force’s mission is to ensure that the District’s Targeted Instructional Improvement Plan, known as TIIP, is implemented for the benefit of African-American students. Based on its extensive research in San Bernardino and Highland schools, including interviews with students, administrators, teachers, and classified staff, the task force identified priorities ranging from: • improving proficiency in math and English language arts among third graders • improving algebra 1 proficiency rates among eighth- and ninth-grade African-American students • increasing the percentage of African-American students who are on track and complete requirements for acceptance to University of California and California State University campuses • improving school attendance and reducing chronic absenteeism among African-American students • reducing suspensions by engaging African-American students and using positive behavior strategies to address and correct behavior; and • strengthening engagement among parents and guardians of African-American students “Essentially we want to make sure that the District dedicates adequate resources to support the needs of African-American students,” said Felicia Jones, who coauthored the report presented to the San Bernardino City Unified Board of Education recently. “This is about making African-American students a priority.” The work of the task force has strengthened collaboration between the District and an important segment of stakeholders, Superintendent Marsden mentioned. “The only way children can succeed in school is when parents, teachers, and school staff work together as partners,” Marsden said. “I appreciate the fact that our relationship with the task force is rooted in a spirit of collaboration. Both the District and the task force share a deep commitment to the success of our African-American students.” The next steps include task force representatives working with the superintendent and his cabinet to develop a plan for carrying out the group’s recommendations. In addition, the task force will update the Board of Education on its progress quarterly. For a copy of the report and recommendations authored by the Task Force for African American Student Achievement, please visit www.sbcusd.com/copereport.