More than 40 percent of Metro’s high school students participated in a two-year survey titled ‘Separate and Unequal,’ possibly the largest youth-led research of its kind in thestate.
Nicole Williams is a junior at University School and a member of the Oasis Center’s Youth Innovation board which conducted the study in all 15 Metro high schools. The findings were released yesterday.
“There’s a real discrepancy between the conditions, the culture and climate in comprehensive schools as opposed to magnet schools.”
The study points out “silent risk factors” such as traditional students feeling lower expectations and less prepared for college than magnet school students.
Zuki Modunkwu graduated from Antioch last year and is now a freshman at Nashville State Tech.
“I think in some ways I feel I was one of the students that were left out of that loop, that if we had the high expectations held for us, then I’m pretty sure that I would probably have been able to get to a Harvard or a Yale or something like that.”
The Youth Innovations Board will present a student bill of rights to be adopted by the Metro School Board that would vow to create equal opportunities for every student.
Other findings and recommendations included a need to reduce student suspensions and instead create educational punishments. The survey shows a lack of teacher-student relationships in comprehensive high schools. Researchers suggest forming student advisory groups at those schools.
Nearly 95-percent of respondents from across the board said they cared about learning.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded from the Oasis Center Web site.
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