African-American students are most disadvantaged by state assessments because they generally attend schools that “teach to the test.” Many African-American students are taught only that small portion of state curriculum standards measured by tests and are taught at the low level of academic proficiency measured by tests.
Amarillo teachers make the most of high-quality instructional materials
At Eastridge Elementary School, Principal Genie Baca’s teachers have enough challenges. Their students are mostly refugees, recent immigrants from countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Vietnam and Burma, among many others. The parents are often shift workers at local meatpacking or poultry processing facilities, meaning that no one’s home to ensure the children are fed and...