Education

Equity, academic achievement,excellence are the words that arise in any discussion about positive changes needed in education for Black students in Utah. The issues varybased not on public/charter/private schools, but on levels of education. Therefore, concernsexistrelated to Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade and a separate set of concerns for postsecondary/higher education institutions.Issue:The quality of education, Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade,received by Black students in Utah lagssignificantly behind that ofreceived by White studentsas indicated by completion rates

Strategic Objectives:

Systemic changes must be made in the way we teach our youth.

• Develop and implement written plans, with yearly measurable goals, to close theachievement gap.

• Increase the number of administrators and teachers of color.Eliminate the disparity in disciplinary actions against students of color.

• Eliminate the push-out/dropout rate.

• Create Afro-centric charter and private schools.

• Train teachers inculturally relevant strategies.

• Aggressively recruit and hire more Black teachers and administrators.

• Decrease the number of disciplinary actions against Black studentsthrough reeducation of educatorsin how to work with a diverse student population.

• Offer accelerated remedial learning opportunities for those students who are academically behind.

• Work aggressively to reduce the absentee rate in low-incomecommunities.

• Define and implement solutions toward keeping Black students in school.