No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning

by Stephan Thernstrom

Black and Hispanic students are not learning enough in our public schools, and their typically poor performance is the most important source of ongoing racial inequality in America today—thus, say Abigail and Stephan Thernstrom, the racial gap in school achievement is the nation's most critical civil rights issue and an educational crisis; it's no wonder that "No Child Left Behind," the 2001 revision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, made closing the racial gap in education its central goal.

An employer hiring the typical Black high school graduate or the college that admits the average Black student is choosing a youngster who has only an eighth-grade education. In most subjects, the majority of twelfth-grade Black students do not have even a "partial mastery" of the skills and knowledge that the authoritative National Assessment of Educational Progress calls "fundamental for proficient work" at their grade.

No Excuses marshals facts to examine the depth of the problem, the inadequacy of conventional explanations, and the limited impact of Title I, Head Start, and other familiar reforms. Its message, however, is one of hope: Scattered across the country are excellent schools getting terrific results with high-needs kids. These rare schools share a distinctive vision of what great schooling looks like and are free of many of the constraints that compromise education in traditional public schools.

In a society that espouses equal opportunity we still have a racially identifiable group of educational have-nots—young African Americans and Latinos whose opportunities in life will almost inevitably be limited by their inadequate education. When students leave high school without high school skills, their futures—and that of the nation—are in jeopardy. With successful schools already showing the way, no decent society can continue to turn a blind eye to such racial and ethnic inequality.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Academic

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2003

About the author

Stephan Thernstrom was an American academic and historian who was the Winthrop Research Professor of History Emeritus at Harvard University. He was a specialist in ethnic and social history and was the editor of the Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups. He and his wife Abigail Thernstrom were prominent opponents of affirmative action in education and according to the New York Times, they "lead the conservative charge against racial preference in America."

Reviews

[Mark Geise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed No Excuses. When I first picked up this book at a used book store, I assumed that it would contain the usual progressive panaceas that have failed in this country time and time again. However, when I read part of the intro, I realized that this was a book that would attack this problem using data and a quantitative approach. The Thernstroms do a very good job of presenting the racial gap issue in American education, what has been done to try to eradicate it, and what they believe will be the solutions.

The racial gap in American education is evident along socioeconomic lines and in urban and suburban areas. Though non-Asian minority students are still disproportionately poor and urban, a simple lack of resources does not alone explain this gap in achievement. When controlling for income and educational attainment of parents, non-Asian minority students score significantly lower than white students on all aptitude tests regardless of the school they attend. Schools with more minority students do not have significantly larger class sizes than schools with less minority students, though this myth is repeated time and time again in the mainstream media. The Thernstroms analyze the data deeply; they make a strong case against the idea of discrimination or apartheid that some like to claim as the source of the racial gap. Urban schools do tend to have lower quality teachers, but this is very much a function of the current union-based system. Those on the bottom of the totem pole in terms of education and qualifications teach in the least desirable schools before eventually moving on to more attractive suburban jobs once they have more attractive credentials. In a freer market for teachers, urban school districts would be able to offer more money to attract high quality teachers from other districts if they determined teacher quality to be their greatest weakness. For example, an urban school may decide to divert resources from athletics in order to hire the best teachers possible in order to have a singular focus on improving its test scores and basic skills. A suburban school with adequate test scores may decide that an expensive athletic program is something they can afford to have. They may be able to keep teacher costs lower because their jobs are more attractive and thus there is more demand for them.

We have tried to address this issue in various ways; we have thrown tons of money at the issue pursuing every feel-good theory in the book. However, despite billions of dollars spent, the racial gap really has not changed. At this point, radical change is necessary. Change within the system does not appear to be likely, as the bureaucracy has grown far too large and has too much invested in the current system.

I agree with the Thernstroms that competition is the only way this issue will actually be resolved. Our current public school systems, specifically in urban areas, are failing. Setting higher standards has helped, but the racial gap is still present and too many of our children still fail to meet basic standards. The system hamstrings superintendents and principals, not giving them the power to set school schedules, set pay, or hire and fire their own staff. This system does not encourage our best and brightest students to become teachers, as they will go off to a different industry with merit-based pay and greater opportunity. If we were free of the near-monopoly status of public school systems today, a variety of innovators would be able to try different methods to produce the best educational outcomes. One school may introduce a tiered pay system where certain outcomes for students will result in substantial pay increases, while failing to meet certain standards will result in termination. Another school may use a vast majority of its resources to attract the best teachers from other districts, diverting resources from some of the things that our public schools currently spend lots of money on. When these schools realize that the best and brightest students tend to make the best teachers, they will compete with the private sector for these valuable individuals. If schools of education are largely useless (which I believe they are), these schools will simply place no value on those credentials, instead searching for those who are subject matter experts. With this competition, our public schools would be forced to catch up with the times or lose their students. Either our public schools would be replaced with more innovative schools or our public schools would become more innovative. Either way, our students and parents win.

Though the statistics and situations are a bit dated, this is certainly still worth reading. I'm glad the Thernstroms were able to go against the orthodoxy of popular opinion.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to review this book for a grad course and was dreading reading it, but was pleasantly surprised. Dense with statistics that are simple but compelling, this book upends myths regarding achievement. (For example, we've been spending more and more on education, with little to show for it, but everybody complains that education needs even more funding. We also constantly ask for smaller class size; in some cases this has actually harmed achievement....READ this book!) While my focus is not policy, I have become more interested in it and this book is one of the reasons why.

[Abby Jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

do you think minority and low-income kids are doing worse in school because of the soft bigotry of low expectations? do you think they just need to suck it up and try a little harder and things will be ok for them? do you think institutional racism is a joke and could not at all influence how a child thinks about her future employment prospects? if so, this book is for you! everyone else, save yourself a rage aneurysm. i found this book useful only for having a physical object to throw across the room when it pissed me off too much. (3-4 times per chapter, for reference.)

[Lorenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm all for higher expectations for minorities. However, the sad fact that we live in a country that is not equal does not simply go away with higher expectations. This sort of attitude does nothing for the silent racism that is perpetuated in the school systems. Read this only in addition to something by Pedro Noguera so you know all the facts.

[Matt Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't take this book as seriously until I started teaching in an inner city elementary school. Culture, parents, and the expectations both set for children are not discussed nearly enough on the conversation of low-performing schools.
I would say take this book with a grain of salt, and know that you can't paint all individuals in a subgroup with the same brush.

[Mgriner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Numbers, numbers, numbers! The book clearly defines the problem and what isn't working, but apparently only charter schools can close the gap. No clear ideas on what works, either, only evidence on what doesn't.

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always read these kinds of books, and I like the idea of not pandering to white guilt liberalism. But the "no excuses" mantra is very close to racism. There has to be a middle ground.

[Dick Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. Detailed analysis of gaps in test results in the US between various racial groups, along with points on how the gaps could be closed. Overall, the solution seems to be relatively simple - higher expectations, longer school hours, better teachers, principals with real control over schools (budget, hiring, firing, etc.). Sadly, politics and interest groups will fight this tooth and nail.

[Jon Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, eye-opening, honest, sad. We have to really really make big changes in education and actual put the kids first not the unions, As a teacher, I couldn't agree more.my teacher union never talks about curriculum, student success or student well-being. Just benefits of adults they represent. We need the private solutions described until unions are gone or improve.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that inspired me when teaching for ACPS in Alexandria, VA. I read this back in 2004 and much of the message still resonates in my teaching today.

[Joel Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

a decent book on the racial gap in America academia, particularly as it pertains to public primary and secondary schools. the authors present some good (and surprising) evidence supporting why certain conventional reforms/approaches have not worked and will not work. their suggestions for what might actually work did not impress me. i would like to read more on a subject the authors broached: "the culture of learning". i suspect this is the greater issue... how parents, students, communities, school systems, and local governments are (or are not) promoting a culture of learning for children in this country.

[Richard Kravitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not very "politically correct". It basically said that statistically, people are smarter by race. And also that there are more books, statistically, in a working-class Caucasian home than in a white-collar African-American home. Pretty harsh stuff.

From what I see as a teacher in a predominantly white / asian school, is that the Racial Gap is, if anything, growing.

I have worked in many schools and the asian and white kids kick ass in the classroom. I teach them all the same, grade them the same, individualize when I can, give kids a second chance, and so I'm not sure what I could do better to close the gap in the classroom.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extremely useful book for anyone interested in the state of the American public education system. Thernstrom addresses the essential issues without emotion and supports her view using strong research. I don't always agree with her conclusions, but I do appreciate her critical examination of the achievement gap and its causes. One of the most surprising findings in the book is that "traditional education solutions," like small classes and more money, do not usually narrow the racial achievement gap in schools.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book, presenting many strong points in favor of it's arguments for how schools need to be restructured and how education should be approached essentially through a form of "tough love".

My main issue with it, however, is that it doesn't even try to hide its bias by even pretending to be objective. If it mentions the other side of an argument, it is only to essentially say "and idiots think that this will work." Even if the conclusions are the same, some attempt to give the other side a fair representation would have improved the book.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Excuses provides an excellent look at the disparities in learning among the races. The Thernstroms offer insight into the causes of these disparities (both historical and cultural), offer a glimpse into schools that have successfully closed the gap in learning, and offer their own solutions to the problem. A must read for anyone interested in education policy.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

ugh. I admit to only skimming, but I did read most of the conclusion. I kept waiting for some real recommendations--nada. And then in the final paragraph, while asserting that "the racial gap is the most important civil rights issue of our time," the authors go on to promote school choice as their only real suggestion for change.

needless to say, I'm not a proponent of 'choice.'

[Brett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Appreciated the statistical, empirical data elucidating what the problem is. There really weren't many recommendations for what needed to change that were useful. I would say it was a fairly thoughtful advocacy for a particular view, but it was certainly of one view, not particularly balanced. And while there was some value in it, it certainly doesn't seem like a complete answer.

[alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thernstrom makes some interesting points about public education. However, her anti-public education bias is obvious from the outset, and led me to distrust many of the conclusions she drew. Also, many of the studies she quoted are dated and/or simply inadequate for the points she makes.

[k · Rating 4 out of 5]

Changed my views about my profession.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the book a few times. Great for teachers who want to learn why the gap exists, and what we need to do the work on closing the gap.

[Marsmannix · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read for anyone interested in the sorry state of public education in America