Minority Kids Still Behind Spokane’s Black, Latino Students Post Lower Gpas

Native American, Hispanic and African American students in Spokane public schools still lag behind their white and Asian counterparts.

According to the “Report Card on Equity,” a study conducted for the past year by a citizens committee, students in these racial groups achieved lower grade-point averages during the 1995-96 school year in District 81.

They had a higher rate of absenteeism and were less likely to be in honors programs. Native Americans and blacks also scored lower on the SATs and were more likely to drop out of school.

The statistics may be appalling, acknowledged some members of the Instructional Equity Citizens Advisory Committee, but many say the school district has made progress.

Comparing the numbers to previous years, “there is very little documented difference, but (the district) has really taken a stand toward meeting the shortcomings on previous report cards,” said John Vargas, a community activist and committee member. “They’re trying to make a positive change in District 81’s educational arena.”

The committee, selected by the school board, spent hundreds of hours conducting surveys and interviewing students to come up with the data. During a student equity forum in April, students were asked to respond to questions such as “How are people who are different treated or made to feel at your school?”

This is the fourth consecutive year that the group has compiled the information.

Since the study’s inception, Spokane public schools have implemented several programs including equity facilitators and a Native American magnet school to help address the problems, said Superintendent Gary Livingston.

Still, the findings show a widening gap between the performances of whites and minorities, which comprised about 12.8 percent of District 81’s 4,110 students during the 1995-96 school year.

Other statistics include:

While the average GPA for Asians in high school was 3.07, Native Americans averaged only 2.38. In comparison, whites averaged 2.83; blacks 2.44; and Latinos 2.66.

Only 5.2 percent of Native American students and 6.3 of African American students were enrolled in honors programs. In comparison, about 14.5 percent of both Asian and white students were involved in such accelerated programs.

Nearly 15 percent of blacks and 14 percent of Native Americans were enrolled in special education classes.

To solve the problem, the citizens committee made several recommendations, including developing an accountability system and goals and timetables in regards to hiring and keeping women and minority staff members.

“Maybe the news is not as good as you would like it to be,” school board member Rob Fukai said during a noon meeting Wednesday.

“But that doesn’t mean you don’t look to see what it is. … I think we have a lot of courage within our district (to study the statistics). A lot of districts don’t.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Spokane school dropouts by race