The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color

The United States is facing a great educational crisis, and this crisis is most acute for young men of color. College Board Advocacy’s new report —The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color — points to powerful societal forces that threaten the educational aspirations of minority males and addresses the challenges they face in today’s schools. If the nation is to achieve President Barack Obama’s goal of producing an additional eight million college graduates by 2020, we must improve access and simultaneously ensure the academic success of minority boys and young men. In 2008, the College Board convened members of the African American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities in a series of “Dialogue Days” to: Explore the decline of minority male participation and success in secondary and postsecondary education; and Share effective practices for raising achievement among this target population. The Educational Crisis Facing Young Men of Color reports on the major themes that emerged from these sobering yet hopeful conversations. It highlights models of excellence that were identified as promising practices, and provides a series of recommendations for educators and policymakers to address this critical issue. It is our sincere hope that this report heightens awareness about this problem of national significance, and sparks more focused discussion as well as more robust responses to these challenges.