Racial Segregation in Schools and What It Means Term Paper

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 682 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 2

Racial Segregation and Testing

As Dingfelder (2004) notes, it is difficult to enforce desegregation when there are so many ways to keep groups separated, as show in the history of Shaker Heights. Indeed, as Waugh (1939) observes, groups tend to segregate themselves in every culture and society. But how does this relate to the Peckham Decision, which states that California school psychologists may no longer use intelligence testing on African-American children in order to determine whether that child has special educational needs? It relates because in the struggle to enforce equality, there is the tendency to be overprotective and overemphasize points that may appeared "biased" but in actuality are merely attempting to be helpful. In the case of Peckham, for instance, the decision to ban testing in this case can be seen as both helpful and harmful for African-American students with special needs: yet the issue will likely be so politicized that any positive impact will be muted by political blowback and the issue of education will play second fiddle to the much larger "issue" of political correctness. As Waugh might have said, political correctness deals in fantasy, while people must deal in reality. The reality of the Peckham Decision is that it might both help and harm students, and here is why.

The Peckham Decision might help students by not automatically placing them in a classroom designed to embrace students with learning disabilities, which would likely stymie their potential if they actually have the ability to learn at a higher level.

Stuck Writing Your "Racial Segregation in Schools and What It Means" Term Paper?

View All Our Example Racial Segregation in Schools and What It Means Term Paper

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

By not enforcing the testing, it gives African-American school children the opportunity to be challenged at the same level as other school children. It puts all the children on an equal footing and allows them to manifest their own skill level. In this way, the school administrators can observe over the course of a year which children should be in remedial classes and which should move to more advanced classes. It is up to the child to prove if he or she is up to the challenge -- something that a single test cannot always show. Indeed, sometimes it is just a matter of learning the skills necessary to move forward and a child can excel beyond anyone's expectations.

On the other hand the Peckham Decision can be harmful because it does not act as a filter: for example, some students may not possess the ability to learn….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Racial Segregation In Schools And What It Means" (2015, October 16) Retrieved May 21, 2025, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/racial-segregation-schools-means-2155469

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Racial Segregation In Schools And What It Means" 16 October 2015. Web.21 May. 2025. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/racial-segregation-schools-means-2155469>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Racial Segregation In Schools And What It Means", 16 October 2015, Accessed.21 May. 2025,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/racial-segregation-schools-means-2155469
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example