Statistics Are Shocking for a “World-Class” District

February 13, 2015 – Graduation data released this week by the Schott Foundation for Public Education reveals shockingly low on-time graduation rates for Caucasian and African-American male students – 61 percent for Caucasian males and only 41 percent for African-American males – in Gwinnett County.

This rate – consistent with the last report – calls into question both the validity of the “Investing in Education Excellence” (IE2) accountability contract and the rigor of the Broad Prize that rewarded Gwinnett County this year for maintaining improvements in graduation rates.

The IE2 contract requires Gwinnett County to set “exceeds expectations” goals that must be met to allow the county the flexibility to waive certain state education regulations. Gwinnett County responded to this contract by setting lower goals for African-American students than for other racial groups.

The Broad Prize was initially awarded to Gwinnett County in 2010 for improvement in education. It was awarded again in 2014 for maintaining the improvements made in 2010. This award was given despite the lowest Black male graduation rate of any district in the greater Atlanta area and scores significantly lower than the state average.

”I am still waiting for the call to action from the school board and the community.  It is no wonder we have the results we do. Our world-class, Broad Prize winning school system was willing to put a race-based performance contract in writing that demonstrates the politics of low expectations,” said Marlyn Tillman, Executive Director of Gwinnett SToPP – a parent-led organization dedicated to dismantling the school to prison pipeline.

“We are fighting for our communities, but our administration seems too pre-occupied with self-congratulation to notice. We have one of the highest-paid superintendents in the country, who now has the district building named in his honor. Broad Prize banners fly at every school and yet the “world-class education” we were promised amounts to only a little more than half of our young men graduating. Where is the outrage?” asked Tillman.