Recognizing the dismal fact that half of all young men of color who graduate from high school will become unemployed, incarcerated, or die young, the College Board is launching a new effort to improve their prospects through education.
Two reports released today by the College Board and Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research underscore the need for a targeted initiative to help minority males ages 15-24. Educational Experience of Young Men of Color: A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress includes statistics on the plight of African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. The second report, Capturing the Student Voice, is a qualitative research piece that contains 92 interviews with men of color.
This research, along with the College Board ‘s report “The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color,” is available on a new Young Men of Color website designed to put an ongoing spotlight on the issue and to track progress.
The research released today chronicles the gap in educational attainment for minority males: 26 percent of African-Americans, 24 percent of Native Americans and Pacific Islanders, and 18 percent of Hispanic Americans have at least an associate degree, compared with 49 percent of whites. Women of color are achieving college degrees at a higher rate than men, the research shows.
To improve the prospects for young men of color, the research includes a policy guide that suggests business-school partnerships to provide mentoring, improved teacher education programs, and professional development with cultural and gender-responsive training.
The College Board’s new national initiative to boost the economic success of young men of color will be announced at an event tomorrow, followed by a Capitol Hill briefing with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Native American Caucus.
There will be a live webcast at 2 p.m. today on the issue, hosted by the College Board.