Changing Abilities
What US racial/geographic group scored the lowest on IQ tests that were administered to soldiers during WWII?
Whites from southern states and Appalachia
Why did scholars call early White American settlers a "decapitated population"?
They were a mostly uneducated and economically disadvantaged population lacking in training and skills. it was not a random selection of the population but was for the most part from lower life stations
What is the greatest benefit to scoring high on a school placement test.
Admission to top schools and colleges is the greatest single indicator of success in later life regardless of field of application.
What is the history of Dunbar High School in DC and did integration serve to increase the achievement levels of black students at the school
Dunbar High was an all Black school in DC for 85 years. During that time it sent almost 80% of its graduates on to college. After Brown vs Board of Education, Dunbar became an integrated school. It is now a failing school with all of the issues of poor inner city schools. Its students were accused of trying to act white and became a source of disdain in the community.
What are some of the explanations for the drop in elite school enrollments for students of color over the last decades? Were the explanations viable?
Standard of Living - No - not a viable reason since standard of living has consistently been raised over the past decades
Heredity - No - black students in earlier generations were better equipped and performed better in academic setting
Attitudes - Yes - there does appear to be a shift in attitude toward education. Respect for education is on the decline
What group of people were the first to smelt Iron, leading to a more advanced culture than their northern neighbors.
Sub-Saharan Africans in the 15th Century
Who enslaved the black populations that were brought to the US as and what was their social status in Africa.
Most enslaved Africans were of lower socio-economic status and were enslaved by African tribes who were stronger and more advanced. They were subsequently sold to American slave traders.
What group currently makes the highest scores on school admission tests? What group did they displace from the top ranking.
Asian students are currently ranked as making the highest scores on school admission tests. Jewish student previously held that rank
What are some of the factors that Sowell attributes to the decline of academic and social success of inner city Black youth?
Aversion to White Behavior
Popularizing Ghetto Culture - sports, rappers, money
Lack of Incentives for academic achievement
What factors, other than isolation are considered to have negatively affected the mental development of populations living in isolated communities.
Biological Relatedness - In breeding
Nutrition and food development
Work and Time Constraints and a general disregard for Education
What is Genetic Determinism and how was it related to eugenics?
Genetic Determinists believed that certain races had a ceiling on the level of mental capacity they were able to achieve. These beliefs supported and in some cases directly let to ethnic cleansing programs as well as organized systems designed to subjugate entire populations and groups.
Have diversity initiatives increased the number of students of color who have been able to attend elite schools and benefit from their curriculum.
No. In spite of DEI initiatives the number of students of color attending the elite school mentioned in this chapter has dropped dramatically over the past decades.