Research: Education gains help whites much more than black and Hispanic peers
By Gretchen Syverud and Scott Jenkins
For decades, policymakers have bought into the idea that “a rising tide lifts all boats” — that is, policy changes that improve the economy, education system, and society at large will benefit everyone.
But a new report from Ed Trust, “The State of Higher Education Equity,” confirms that education doesn’t work that way: Improvements to our post-high school education system have benefited already-advantaged white people the most, leaving millions of black and Hispanic students behind.
For example, compared with 47 percent of white adults, just 31 percent of black and 22 percent of Hispanic Americans have an associate or bachelor’s degree. Ed Trust notes that this level of attainment is well below where white Americans were in 1990, more than 25 years ago.
In the past, well-intentioned political leaders have focused policymaking on helping low-income Americans. The new research shows that such a focus, while laudable and still important, isn’t enough to close attainment gaps that exist by race and ethnicity.
If policymakers don’t disrupt the status quo, they’ll leave millions of black and Hispanic Americans at a disadvantage, blocking a rise in prosperity for an increasing share of our citizens.
With projections that the future workforce will demand significantly more people with education and training after high school, public leaders — especially state leaders — should focus on helping more people, especially people of color, earn college degrees, certificates and other high-quality credentials.
Lumina Foundation’s State Policy Agenda offers a guide to do so. It recommends state leadership, policy, and budget changes designed specifically to stop leaving millions of black and Hispanic people behind — and to turn the tide on educational attainment.
Gretchen Syverud is a strategy officer for Lumina Foundation.
Scott Jenkins is a strategy director for Lumina.
