New Jersey schools graduate more African American males than most states

    A new study finds New Jersey is among the states that have the highest percentage of black male students graduating from high school.

    The Schott Foundation for Public Education says New Jersey’s graduation rate for black males was 69% in the 2007-08 school year compared to a national rate of just 47%. Michael Holzman is the Foundation’s research consultant. He says black students perform the best in schools where African American enrollment is less than 30%.

    “That’s not because black kids get smarter by sitting next to white kids,” he says. “It’s that the schools that the community are willing to put in place for white middle class kids tragically are often better schools than the community is willing to put in place for black disadvantaged  kids.”

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    Newark was the best performing large district in the nation with a black male graduation rate of 75%.

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