Richmond

Inequities in Graduation Rates

Black male students in Richmond graduated at lower rates in 2005/6 than the national average for their group, as did White male students. The racial achievement gap was, therefore, slightly narrower than average.

The Benchmark for graduation rates of Black male students for school districts enrolling more than 10,000 Black male students is 82% (Fort Bend, Texas).

Male Students

Graduation Rate 2005/6 (est.)

Graduation Rate 2004/5

Black
Males

Black

White

Gap

Black

White

Black Change

White Change

USA

4.3mil.

47%

75%

28%

47%

74%

0%

1%

Virginia

164,243

54%

75%

21%

53%

74%

1%

1%

Richmond

10,920

41%

65%

24%

46%

54%

-5%

11%

Discipline, Special Education, and Advanced Placement Inequities


The number of out-of-school suspensions given to Black male students in the Richmond public schools was equivalent to thirty percent of Richmond’s Black, non-Hispanic male student population and the percentage of out-of-school suspensions given to White male students in Richmond was equivalent to seven percent, in the 2004/5 school year, as reported to the Office of Civil Rights of the U. S. Department of Education.

Black, non-Hispanic male students were classified as Gifted/Talented less than one-seventh as often as White, non-Hispanic male students in the Richmond public schools and classified as Mentally Retarded at a higher rate than their White classmates. If Black male students had been admitted to Gifted/Talented programs at a rate comparable to that of White male students, at least an additional 1,800 students would have been able to take advantage of those program resources.

Proportionate to enrollment, over five times as many White male students as Black male students in the Richmond public schools in 2004/5 were allowed to participate in Mathematics Advanced Placement courses. No White male students and ten male Black students were reported as enrolled in Advanced Placement Science.