Preview of Article:
An Introduction from The Guest Editors
Theresa Perry and Lisa Delpit
The average grade point average for all students in the district was 2.4; for white students it was 2.7; for Asian- American students, 2.4. The average grade point average for African-American students was 1.8. While African Americans made up 53% of student population, they represented 80% of suspensions and 71% of students labeled as special needs. Against the backdrop of this dismal picture of school failure, the above-average performance of African-American students at the Prescott Elementary School caught the attention of members of the task force.