COMMUNITY several important outcomes impacting an individual’s quality of life: crime and incarceration, earnings and employment, and health. Furthermore, compared to the general population of Polk County, Black residents are losing ground in educational attainment, and at an alarming rate. In contrast to the total population of Polk County, the proportion of Black Polk County residents with less than a high school degree or equivalency has grown between 2005 and 2014. Black Polk County residents have significantly lower levels of post-secondary degree attainment than the general population. Since 2005, the total population of Polk County has improved the proportion of the population receiving a post-secondary degree by 14 percent. However, Black residents were not attaining post-secondary degrees in 2014 significantly more than in 2005; the proportion of Black Polk County residents receiving a post-secondary degree only rose by 5 percent. A significant issue facing the state of Iowa is the disproportionality of African American students in special education and related services. According to the Iowa Department of Education, disproportionality “refers to the percent probability, or likelihood, of disproportionate representation of racial and/or ethnic groups in special education and related services that is the result of inappropriate identification.” (The Annual Condition of Education Report 2015). In the 2013-2014 school year, African American students had a 74 percent probability of being disproportionately represented in special education compared to all students. Although down from a 113 percent probability in 2011-2012, African Americans are still significantly more likely to be placed in special education or receive related services than their peers. The two highest margins of African American dropouts to overall dropouts among Polk County public school districts belong to Southeast Polk (2.8 percent African American, 0.7 percent overall) and West Des Moines (3.5 percent African American, 1.8 percent overall). Considering the significant academic achievement April 2019 The URBAN EXPERIENCE 33 However, Des Moines Independent School District has the distinction of the highest dropout rate for African Americans in the county. Compared statewide, several districts beat that marginal rate, some by as much as 15 percent. Without further data we can only guess as to what these numbers look like today. can do is take action toward a better tomorrow. Join us at the next One Economy Education Working Group sessions: Monday, April 22 & Monday, May 27, from 5:30-7pm at the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families. There is power in numbers and together we can make a difference. Although, what we lifetime gaps, it may not be surprising that African Americans would drop out at a higher frequency than their peers at the same schools. Data reported to the Iowa Department of Education reveal narrow margins between African American dropouts and overall dropouts in some Polk County public schools. For some suburban schools, the margin is significant. For Des Moines Independent School District, the district enrolling the largest number of Black students in the county and the state, there is only a 5 percent difference in dropouts for African American students compared to dropouts across the district (4.8 percent to 4.3 percent dropouts overall).
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