Nevada

Inequities in Graduation Rates

Black and White male students in Nevada graduated at lower rates in 2005/6 than the national average. The racial graduation gap is lower than the national average as, with recent improvements, the state's Black male students are closer to the national average for Black male students than the state's White male students are to their national average.

The Benchmark for graduation rates of Black male students for states enrolling more than 10,000 Black male students is 74% (New Jersey).

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%

Nevada

23,553

40%

55%

16%

31%

53%

9%

2%

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Evidence of Inequities

NAEP Grade 4 Reading results for Nevada are below those for the nation as a whole for White, non-Hispanic male students and approximately on average for Black male students. More than half of the state's Black male students read below the Basic level at Grade 4.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level, Reading, Grade 4, 2007

Race

Jurisdictions

Below Basic

At Basic

At Proficient

At Advanced

White

USA

26

36

29

9

 

Nevada

33

34

27

7

Black

USA

59

30

10

1

 

Nevada

58

28

13

1

At Grade 8 more than half of the state's Black male students read at less than the Basic level and virtually none reach the Advanced level.  

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level, Reading, Grade 8, 2007

Race

Jurisdictions

Below Basic

At Basic

At Proficient

At Advanced

White

USA

22

46

30

2

 

Nevada

32

44

22

2

Black

USA

53

39

8

#

 

Nevada

53

38

9

#

Over one-third of Nevada's Black male students score below the Basic level in Grade 4 Mathematics, three times as many as the state's White, non-Hispanic male students.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level, Mathematics, Grade 4, 2007

Race

Jurisdictions

Below Basic

At Basic

At Proficient

At Advanced

White

USA

9

38

44

9

 

Nevada

13

40

41

6

Black

USA

38

47

14

1

 

Nevada

39

42

17

1

By Grade 8, more than half of Nevada's Black male students score below the Basic level in Grade 8 Mathematics and two percent reach the Advanced level.

Percentages Of White and Black Non-Hispanic Male Students At Each Achievement Level, Mathematics, Grade 8, 2007

Race

Jurisdictions

Below Basic

At Basic

At Proficient

At Advanced

White

USA

18

39

33

10

 

Nevada

27

40

26

7

Black

USA

54

35

10

1

 

Nevada

56

33

10

2

The Benchmark for Black male students in Grade 8 Reading is Massachusetts, with 62% of Black male students scoring at or above Basic.

The Benchmark for Grade 8 Mathematics is Texas, with 63% of Black male students scoring at or above Basic.

Discipline, Special Education, and Advanced Placement Inequities


The number of out-of-school suspensions given to Black male students in Nevada was equivalent to eighteen percent of Nevada's Black, non-Hispanic male student population. The number of out-of-school suspensions given to White male students in Nevada was equivalent to eight percent of the state's White, non-Hispanic male enrollment in the 2004/5 school year, as reported to the Office of Civil Rights of the U. S. Department of Education. More than three times as many Black male students in proportion to enrollment were expelled as were White male students.

Black male students were admitted to district Gifted and/or Talented programs at less than a quarter the rate of male White students, while more than twice as many were classified as Mentally Retarded. Many more Black male children were classified as Mentally Retarded than as Gifted/Talented. If Black male children had been admitted to Nevada's Gifted/Talented programs at the same rate as White male children, at least 300 more would have been in those programs.

Given their respective shares in the student population, nearly six times as many White male students were allowed to take Advanced Placement Mathematics classes and more than four times as many were allowed to take Advanced Placement Science classes as Black male students.