New Study: Many Florida Children Left Behind

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The Hamilton, Ohio school where George W. Bush signed "No Child Left Behind" in 2001 has a statue to commemorate the glorious day.

A new report says there is a more than 50% gap in reading proficiency between Black and White teenagers in America, and that only 57% of "historically disadvantaged" students in Florida have access to top schools.

The Boston-based Schott Foundation for Public Education released the report today. They define disadvantaged as: Black, Latino, "Native American," or poor (which doesn't get a capital letter). And they have extensive statistics and graphics.

The basic conclusion is this: No Child Left Behind has left many, many child behind. Pouring funds into top schools - schools minorities and poor kids generally have less access to - has stratified education. Less than 20% of Black or poor white kids graduate from high school in places like Detroit and Indianapolis.

"The disparities and the gaps are wide," said Dr. John Jackson, President and CEO of the Schott Foundation during a press conference today. "Fifty-five years after Brown versus the Board of Education, we are still not giving our children an equal opportunity to learn."

Compared to other states, Florida is about middle of the road, as you can see here.