- High Hopes and Higher Education:
Honoring Black Students' Aspirations
is produced in collaboration with
Wisconsin Public Television
and Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest:
putting research into action.
Funding has been provided by
the Institute of Education Sciences.
[inspiring music]
- When you look at the research,
you're finding that black students,
they actually have higher aspirations.
So, a higher proportion of black students really want
to go to college after high school.
- Clearly, they have the higher aspirations,
but we've got structural reasons
why they're not actually enrolling.
- The barrier isn't that they're not capable or have the potential.
It's just that they don't have the support.
- We're wanting to develop a college-going culture.
- I wanna hear the students say, "I love that school.
"I'm getting ready to apply to that school.
"I can't wait to attend that school.
And, I'm gonna be a graduate of that school."
*
- Narrator: In this program, you'll see Wisconsin educators and students
taking on one of our state's greatest educational challenges:
the disparities in opportunities
to prepare for and attend college
that face black students.
In the U.S., most black high school students
aspire to attend college,
and many hope to continue on
to graduate or professional programs.
But fewer than 60% enroll in college
soon after they graduate high school.
And only 40% of black college students
complete their degrees within six years.
Dedicated researchers and educators
are tackling this problem with evidence-based approaches
that increase college achievement.
You'll learn about these practices
and meet some students with high aspirations
for higher education.
[drumming music growing]
We start by connecting a rich past
with a hopeful present, open to possibility.
Culturally responsive education
can make learning more relevant to many students of color.
Research shows that honoring a student's culture
demonstrates that their own experience is valued.
*
- Today is the 'Bringing the Gifts My Ancestors Gave
Black History Education Conference.'
- Narrator: While it's happening in Black History Month,
this event looks to the future as much as the past.
It's the brainchild of Andreal Davis,
and it's inspired by research
from the Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest
Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance,
or MAGRA for short.
- Over the past 2 1/2 years,
I've been working with a group, REL MAGRA,
to research best practices
and strategies for improving outcomes for black students.
A number of things that really help us just reach our kids,
reach and teach them in a different way.
- We're trying to educate our educators.
- If we're doing education research,
that we need to communicate our work to educators.
- It's all about how we can be more culturally relevant
to reach all of the kids in our classroom.
- I wanna serve my students to the best of my ability--
all of them--
and so, this is the kind of work that's absolutely necessary.
[drum music]
- Just your students being people, being heard,
you know, being respected.
Seeing theirself as someone that can succeed in school.
That's the overall message here.
- I am somebody.
- child: I am somebody.
- I am somebody.
- child: I am somebody.
[all playing drums]
[cheers and applause]
- Narrator: It's taking inspiration
in what previous generations overcame and achieved
and passing it on to the next.
- Our students are hungry for something
that helps to validate them,
to help recognize their gifts and talents.
- Narrator: And no one is better-suited
to deliver that message than keynote speaker,
Gloria Ladson-Billings.
- Dr. Ladson-Billings has always been
someone that I look to for how to be a teacher.
Her book "Dreamkeepers" is foundational for my teaching.
- An incredible mentor, colleague, and friend,
Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings. [cheers and applause]
- Narrator: The emeritus University of Wisconsin professor
is widely recognized as the leading scholar
and champion of culturally responsive education.
- When I first learned of the theme of this conference--
"Bringing the Gifts That My Ancestors Gave"--
I immediately thought of the image
of the Sankofa bird
that is prominent during the celebration of Kwanzaa.
The word "Sankofa" is translated:
"It is not wrong to go back
"to that which you have forgotten."
So this conference is built around the successful--
around successful educational interventions
that support the academic success
of African-American children.
- Narrator: Many of these evidence-based interventions
involve teachers developing strong relationships
with students and offering inclusive lessons
that incorporate black students' lived experience.
- The risk is that, if they don't ever see themselves in the curriculum,
then they never feel like they can be part of--
you know, leaders in-- whatever field or discipline.
And so I think that that can be alienating.
- Showing that student that, "I see you.
"I know where you come from. I understand you."
And that relationship piece is really important.
- Narrator: But for some,
that need for cultural awareness and inclusion
can be difficult to recognize.
- Culture is the very essence of the human experience.
Everybody has it.
Unfortunately, those who are a part of the dominant culture
don't believe they have culture.
They think what they have is truth...
or the right way.
When I first came to the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
I had students who told me that they did not have culture.
In their words, they were, quote, "Just normal."
So I said, "Well, I guess that means
that would make me abnormal."
"No, no, no, no. That's not what we mean."
[laughter] "We're just regular."
[audience murmuring] "Oh, that's better."
[laughter]
- Narrator: African Americans develop their own educational traditions,
even as they were excluded
from full participation in society.
- Teaching and learning is deeply ingrained
in the African-American culture.
Indeed, right after the Civil War,
one of the first things-- one of the first things
that the newly emancipated African Americans did
was to save up money to establish what would become
historically black colleges and universities.
- Narrator: Connecting with that rich past
can hold promise for future achievement.
- Today, we need teachers who are willing to see the gifts
that our children bring from their ancestors.
These teachers have to take seriously
the need to read and study
and to learn about our children and their culture
and the gifts they bring from their ancestors.
This is why Sankofa matters. Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
- Narrator: Another gift black students can bring
is sharing their school experience with their teachers.
Hearing from students about their academic
and disciplinary experiences in schools can be revealing.
- Okay, here they are. Without further ado, our MSAN scholars.
[cheers and applause]
- Narrator: MSAN is the Minority Student Achievement Network,
and their student panel is the highlight of their annual meeting.
- Every year, that is the most powerful learning
our adults walk away with.
When those young people are given the space
to speak their truth
in a way that just, every single year,
blows our attendees out of the water.
We don't often take that time to be quiet and listen
to the students most directly impacted
by disparities we see in our schools.
- A kid of color does something
that's considered wrong or not right.
They'll have a longer suspension
than somebody that is not of color.
And discipline in our school needs to be changed.
I feel like everybody should have the same consequence.
- Okay, so, I think what they're trying to say is,
if everyone had the same exact consequences,
we wouldn't have to have as many conversations like this.
I think that's what you're trying to say.
- Yeah. One more thing. - Okay. And then... [laughs]
- There's quite a bit of evidence in the research literature
that says that, you know, teachers aren't necessarily
treating black students the same way.
And that's the core of the problem, right?
That, you know, we, despite, you know, decades of
kind of working on these issues and trying to integrate schools,
we still have not addressed that very problem.
- What these great students are saying ain't nothing new.
And I said "ain't." It ain't nothing new. It's not.
You all have heard this before.
- Preach.
- Black students in particular oftentimes--
And I'll say this for myself as well--
Like, if a teacher is feeling un--
If you can tell that a teacher
doesn't feel comfortable with you,
um, that-- it--
it can make you feel alienated.
It can make you feel like,
you know, you don't belong there.
- Students of color have told us their teachers--
especially boys--
their teachers don't stand as close to them.
They don't get the interaction with their teachers,
who are predominantly white.
And so the kids have said, "Stand near me.
"Try to get to know me in that way."
So proximity is one.
Another really amazing way our kids have articulated
what teachers can do to be supportive of their success is,
"I need you to see the academic me
"that I can't see for myself."
- High expectations are really important for students,
in terms of black students, specifically, being successful--
which I think is also true of all students as well, right?
- Narrator: Research shows encouraging students
to take rigorous courses and maintaining high expectations
can build academic skills and confidence.
- High expectations, access to rigor,
are often concerns for students of color
in multiracial schools.
How do you all feel about taking AP kind of courses?
[laughter] There we go.
- Okay, so I take AP Psychology
because I plan on doing pre-med in the future, and...
- All right. [cheers and applause]
[applause]
But, there are only four black kids in my class.
So, when it comes to, like, group work and everything,
everyone's like, "Oh, they can just work together."
I wish that AP and honors classes were more diverse.
I've just noticed that, like,
a lot of African-American students--
at least at my school--
aren't real encouraged to take rigorous courses.
- So, I'm two years ahead in math.
And I have not seen another black student
in any of my math classes since fourth grade.
- Wow. - Oh, God.
- Um...
Also, I haven't had any black students
in any of my honor classes that I've taken in high school.
I've had these thoughts where, like,
"I'm not gonna try as hard
"because they don't expect me to try as hard anyway."
- There's really important research that shows that,
for teachers who don't necessarily believe
that students can achieve, that actually really has
really big impacts on their-- on their academic achievement.
- That's on us as students
for not encouraging our classmates;
on teachers for not encouraging their students.
"Element, LR." - Yeah.
- Another example is... - Okay.
We should be encouraging everybody to take
a rigorous course, at least one time.
- Some districts in Wisconsin
are implementing the mandatory AP course,
and so, it's really all about having
high expectations for students, right?
Telling a student, "I know that you can do this.
"I expect you to be able to do this."
And students can actually really excel under those circumstances
as long as you give them the supports to be able to do so.
- Structurally, we need to make sure that we support all
students from where they come
and find out pathways for them
to move on in education.
- So I feel like, when you do those honors classes,
it's kind of like a push step for your future.
- Even if you're scared
or if you don't want people to judge you, like,
you gotta do what you gotta do in order to get--
achieve your dream.
- Now, the truth is coming out,
so make sure we keep this rolling.
- Narrator: Adding diversity to the teaching force
increases the chance for a wider range of students
to connect with teachers.
That helps identify role models
and nurture educational aspirations.
- If you don't have a diverse
admin or staff, how do you expect your students
to be able to come to you when issues like this happen?
- A lot of kids'll say, like, "Oh, well, I vibe"--
or, "I can go to them because they're black," or whatever, not like--
But we don't have that anymore.
We have two black teachers and probably four black staff.
I mean, it's kind of sad to know, like,
that we don't have enough people of color
working in our Madison district.
And I wanna change something, and...
Ms. McKinley, she works at La Follette.
She's new this year. And when I first seen her,
I was like, "Are you a teacher here? "It's weird, no offense,
but, like, I've never seen an African-American teacher."
- And you get an opportunity
to show other kids that look like you
that we can be successful.
- Later on in my future, I definitely wanna do what she does.
- We all want to see people
who look like us who are successful
and think to myself, "I can do that."
- We've got a growing amount of research
showing that, over time,
even having one same-race teacher
can impact college going,
can impact achievement.
- Research has shown that students tend
to benefit from having an African-American teacher.
Like, all students across grades tend to have higher academic achievement
with African-American teachers.
- Now, I'm currently in a program called TEEM Scholars,
and it's a program for young teens
that are willing to become teachers.
- Narrator: The TEEM in TEEM Scholars stands for
Tomorrow's Educators for Equity in Madison.
- And I'm just delighted
that our high schools are building that pipeline.
I think, for years, we in education
have neglected our own growth and development.
We've sort of put up, "You can be a doctor.
"You can be a lawyer. You can"-- all these things.
And I have always said, "What about teaching?"
- Narrator: TEEM Scholars helps its volunteers
aspire to become teachers
and inspire the next generation.
- Well, right now, we actually volunteer
at the Boys & Girls Club every Monday after school.
So, I just feel like we need more teachers of color
to relate to kids.
So I just wanna change it,
and that's what the program is for.
- Narrator: Visiting campuses and learning about colleges
can inform choices and inspire ambitions.
[engine idling]
[percussive music]
*
- All right. So right now, we are prepping for our BSU,
which is our Black Student Union organization,
annual HBCU college tour,
which is historically black colleges and universities.
*
- So we are on our way to Virginia.
We are gonna be seeing some new HBCU colleges.
And I am very excited.
*
- A lot of rich history
on just about all the college campuses that we go to.
And they get to see more students,
that look like them, excelling.
- I actually believe that I do see myself at a HBCU college.
Yes.
- Hello, Memorial Spartans! [students cheering]
At the end of the trip, I wanna hear the students say,
"I love that school; I'm getting ready to apply to that school.
"I can't wait to attend that school.
"And, I'm gonna be a graduate of that school."
And so give it up for Memorial BSU.
[cheers and applause]
- We have some undergrads. We have sophomores.
We have seniors. I mean, we got it all.
- Narrator: A few weeks after the trip,
Memorial High's Black Student Union
welcomes college students currently enrolled at both HBCUs
and predominantly white institutions,
or PWIs, to their lunchtime meeting.
- I actually went here, to Memorial.
- All right. - Yay!
- We all know HBCUs.
You've got resources.
- From my own research, having older peers
can also provide a really core source of support.
- Your character will be tested.
And you're gonna have all these different cultures
and all these different environments
all mixed onto this campus that's not gonna be too big.
- When I talk to people that go to my school,
they're like, "Oh, I had black teachers."
I'm like, "Black teachers? I ain't..."
[laughter and exclamations] "Black teachers?"
"I ain't never seen a black teacher before."
Saying, "I wanna be a black doctor," it's kind of like, "Am I gonna make it?"
Like, I don't really see anybody else doing this.
I have a class of 125 black, African-American students
graduating as pre-med majors, so 125 future black doctors.
So it was kind of eye-opening to me,
just letting me know that I can do this.
There are other people who have done it before me
and that will be there to help support me through the process.
- I found that, being at a PWI,
you're gonna be really tired
of just feeling like you gotta go the extra mile
to show that you deserve to be where you are at.
There is a pressure-- at least that I feel--
a responsibility to represent all black people.
- Narrator: For many of these students,
their passion and pride are evident.
- My heart is in caring for people.
So it doesn't matter what they throw at me at Tuskegee.
I'm gonna keep going, 'cause at the end of the day,
there's people's lives that need to be saved.
There's a lot of history at Tuskegee.
So our nursing program, specifically,
was the first baccalaureate nursing program
in the entire state of Alabama.
And that's a huge deal, for that to have been
at a historically black college.
Like, I'm getting chills just talking about it.
- We got doctors, lawyers, nurses.
This is black excellence.
*
- Narrator: To support students on their college path,
research shows that precollege programs
are associated with higher college graduation rates.
*
The University of Wisconsin is committed to increasing its diversity.
The UW has created programs that increase opportunity
for students traditionally left behind.
So, if you spend time on campus,
you might hear the question, "What is PEOPLE?"
- PEOPLE is amazing and supportive.
- PEOPLE is family. PEOPLE is unique.
- PEOPLE is fly.
- So I would say that PEOPLE is--
We are partners for college access and success.
- There should be no reason why students
from communities of color aren't coming to this institution.
And we knew we needed to do
a more direct, grassroots approach
to attract those students,
so thus was born the PEOPLE program:
the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program
for Learning Excellence.
- Narrator: PEOPLE creates opportunities for low-income students
and helps them reach their goals
of college attainment and degree completion.
One aspect is a summer, on-campus program.
- Students love the summer experience.
They get to hang out on a college campus.
They get to breathe the air, if you will.
- Narrator: Breathing that air means they may
breathe easier once enrolled on campus.
- College campuses aren't organized like high schools.
You know, there's not really an analogue
that we would be familiar with.
Just the familiarity of how things are laid out
can make people feel that college campuses
aren't as intimidating as they might be ordinarily.
- Narrator: Jalen Corey is back on campus
between his junior and senior years of high school
as a PEOPLE Scholar.
- My sixth-grade teacher helped me apply, and I luckily got in. And I love it.
- We have the function name, and to call it,
all we do is just write the name again.
- It definitely opened my eyes to things that I never really thought about.
Once I started the PEOPLE program
and I started doing workshops in the summer,
like, about, you know, comp sci and engineering
and everything, that's when I started to learn new things
and open my eyes to different things,
and that's how I know what I want to do now.
- If we can get in those young minds early
and kind of help set the expectation
with themselves and their peer group
then like college is something you really strongly want to consider
and you can do, then that really helps.
- But we never called it, so let's call it, right now.
- We're wanting to develop a college-going culture
to get more students thinking about and seeing themselves
as legitimately being capable of performing while succeeding
and eventually graduating
from a world-class Research 1 institution.
- Students say, "I could see myself being here.
"I could see myself doing this.
"This is something that seems reachable to me,
"attainable to me."
Anything that a program can do to--
that really shifts a student's perspective in that way,
I think, is a good practice.
- How do we ask the user to make a guess?
- Narrator: PEOPLE targets minority and low-income students
from Madison and Milwaukee.
Historically, these students have been underrepresented at the university.
- Let's see if we get seven, right?
- You know, the data didn't paint us
in the most positive light.
And so knowing that students had an uphill battle
just by virtue of sort of being in the school they were in,
and you layer on the additional challenges
of what it means to be a kid
coming from a community of color...
you quickly see that there's a recipe that needs to be changed
if you want a different outcome.
And so PEOPLE was designed to be that intervention.
- You guys, as PEOPLE students with us--
because next year, as seniors...
- The barrier isn't that they're not capable.
or have the potential.
It's just that they don't have the support.
And so we really try to provide a supportive resource pathway
to be able to get to college.
One of the most important things that we try to provide
for our students is called a "precollege advisor."
- If you get accepted to Madison,
you will attend SCE, the summer collegiate institute.
- They do quite a bit, actually.
So you do quarterly reports.
They check your grades every week.
They keep up with you. They talk to your parents.
They're always in contact with you, yourself.
He texts me a lot, you know. He's always in contact with me.
- That's actually really beneficial for a student
to have a one-on-one mentor or to have a support system.
- About 94% of students who complete our program
do enroll in college.
And about 50% to 55% of them are coming here to UW-Madison.
- Hi. How you doing?
- Narrator: Once PEOPLE scholars enroll at UW,
support continues.
- We like to say that, in the precollege program,
our job is to get them to college, and then our college program,
their job is to get them through college. (chuckles)
- And what we push a lot of our students to do is
really build their full college experience.
So not just focusing on the academics,
but on developing them as individuals
and preparing them for postgraduation planning.
- So having someone there to say,
"Here are some steps that you need to take.
"Here are some ways in which you can feel more comfortable
"in the college environment, and how you can see
"how you might be struggling in class,
"and here are strategies to deal with that"--
I think that that would be also really helpful.
*
- Narrator: The big payoff comes when PEOPLE students complete their degrees,
often as the first member of their family to do so.
- To feel like I've been a part of that journey
and just see how they've grown.
And, you know, I think to be able to
claim a little stake in having some influence, maybe,
in one of their many decisions
of where they're at now.
And it does feel like family.
- That started within the PEOPLE program.
What was your experience like?
- There are people who are there to help you succeed
to that next level, and, if you challenge yourself,
if you don't just take the easy way out, right--
you really set your aspirations and high goals for yourself.
Guess what? You'll achieve 'em.
[fanfare playing] - Aliyah Ali Musinanga.
- Narrator: Achieving those goals is the fulfillment
of students' dreams and aspirations.
And when black students across Wisconsin
are supported in achieving their goals for higher education,
it strengthens our state.
- For us to have a more educated populace,
we all need to have a broader understanding.
And, this is really a ground-up conversation.
- Narrator: To get there takes intention and effort,
and investment.
Investments in programs that honor students' culture and voice,
communicate high expectations,
provide them role models in schools,
and support them on the path to college.
- That's the investment that we wanna make.
We wanna be on that end. That's a win for Wisconsin.
That's a win for our nation.
- It really is possible for all students to be successful.
Absolutely possible.
[cheers and applause]
*
- Narrator: This program was produced
in collaboration with Wisconsin Public Television
and Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest:
putting research into action.
Funding has been provided by
the Institute of Education Sciences.