Why Opportunity Doesn't Guarantee Success

Throughout the year 2011, there has been a consistent buzz around social equity, the disappearing middle class, and the prosperity of the "1%" (all related issues). American politics (and politicians) hang in the balance as the economy waivers, and angry 99-percent-ers post up in your local park to protest. In light of all the madness, it is only appropriate that the pot be stirred enough to warrant a heated battle in 2012.

On December 12, 2011, Forbes released an earthquake of an article whose reverberations were felt with every share on Facebook and retweet. "If I Were A Poor Black Kid." Gene Marks, author, responds to President Obama's speech on social inequity a few weeks ago in motivational, accusatory, brilliant, ignorant rhetoric.

"...If I was a poor black kid I would first and most importantly work to make sure I got the best grades possible. I would make it my #1 priority to be able to read sufficiently.   I wouldn't care if I was a student at the worst public middle school in the worst inner city.  Even the worst have their best.  And the very best students, even at the worst schools, have more opportunities." 

Opportunities. The golden opportunity. The opportunity of a lifetime. That's what determines if we are successful, right? The exposure to the chance to exhibit excellence should put the keys to life in reach. That's the perception. What we generally fail to realize is that opportunity is EVERYWHERE. But greatness isn't everywhere. 

The Washington Post has been running a story of an amazing social experiment that is flipping a common theory, that opportunity = success, on its head. The Seat Pleasant 59 is a group of 59 students who, in 1988, were each granted the gift many only dream about: a free college education. The only contingency? Go to college. The Post took a look at these 59 students to find out where they are now. Eleven students attained four-year degrees from a college or university. Just eleven. That means forty-eight students who were given the opportunity to create their own avenues academically, failed to do so. 

This is not an isolated occurrence, though. Since 1993, students in the state of Georgia meeting certain requirements of merit have in-state tuition waved as part of the HOPE Scholarship program. What an opportunity to be in control of your own financial destiny during a time where most kids are living off ramen noodles! But here's the reality: only 3 of 10 students never lose HOPE. And those seven aren't very likely to get back in good graces. 

"Few students regain HOPE if they lose it. Of the 24,496 students who entered a University System college in fall 2004 with the scholarship, 10,439 lost it after their first year. Only 972 students regained it the following year." - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Why is the correlation between opportunity and success so low? Because like any equation, there are a plethora of factors that come into play when calculating the probability of a child's success in life. A free ride to college doesn't guarantee graduation, just like a school with 98% of 3rd graders proficient in reading doesn't guarantee your 3rd grader won't be in the remaining 2%. Real intervention requires a cultural and environmental revamp. Real intervention requires empowerment of students with confidence, goals, and the skills and resources (not just the finances) to attain those goals.

School reform increases the chance that our students will be successful, but is that the best we can hope for? A half-loaded die? Until the responsibility for our children's success coincides with a responsibility for each child's success, "opportunity" will only translate to success for those who have developed the mindset to achieve. If I were a poor black kid... I'd pray.

Perception vs. Reality

“Are schools really that bad? I did aight, and people say my school ‘sucks.’”

How easy is it to relate to that thought process as an alumni, parent, or student? Very easy. I’ve fallen victim myself. I graduated with honors from a school colloquially termed, “Ghettocreek.” I lived in the blissful realm as the principal’s kid in AP and gifted classes, and I’ll tell anyone my school was amazing. After all, just look at me! In statistics, that is known as a sampling error. While doing some research for the expansion of the BKCL academic mentor program, I saw something very disconcerting.

Perusing target areas for struggling schools is the particular methodology of choice for BKCL market analysis, and finding inner city schools with less than amazing test scores isn’t very difficult, believe it or not. (If you want to know how a school is performing, I recommend www.greatschools.org.) School quality is determined by test scores, of course; however, at schools with 60% 3^rd grade proficiency in English, parents comment that the school is “one of the best learning institutions I’ve ever experienced.” To put that into perspective, 40% of the 3^rd grade kids at that great learning institution can’t use pronouns, write in cursive, or use a dictionary.

At one of our schools, we asked the students, who were selected by the principal for the academic mentorship program, to write autobiographies, and we received submissions from authors with a wide range of varying skill. There were some though, that were nearly illegible. 5^th grade writing that didn’t have any structure or flow… or punctuation.

… in case you thought I was just being dramatic. This isn’t representative of all the students at the school, or even in the program. But now, I have put a face to the 10% when I read “90% proficient in writing.” I can’t live with 90% when the other 10% can’t spell NBA.

Enough talk. Help us do something. Sign up to be a mentor: www.blackkidscanlearn.org under “Academic Improvement.” Show these kids that they can learn.