A reader sends word that the Dept. of Justice has accused the Virginia Beach, Va., police department of discrimination because more blacks and Hispanics fail the basic math component of a qualifying exam. (Link requires registration)
The DOJ has determined that between 2002 and mid-2005, approximately 85 percent of white applicants passed the math test; approximately 66 percent of Hispanic applicants passed it; and approximately 59 percent of the African American applicants passed.
The DOJ believes that the use of these test scores has resulted in discrimination against African Americans and Hispanics.
Here are some sample questions from the exam, which can be found here:
1. $36,750 ÷ 52 =
2. $13,472 ÷ 13 =
3. $13 x 31 =
4. $314 x 5 =
6. 10% of $87,000 =
At least one criminologist thinks “[t]hese qualifications shouldn’t come up.”
On Thursday, a Norfolk State University professor told 13News he graduates many highly qualified Criminal Justice majors each year and that many of them want to work for area police departments. He said he’s sure they could pass the test.
“We train them. We know they are capable of doing that job very well. These qualifications shouldn’t come up. We know they are fully qualified today,” stressed Nunso Okafo.
The article did not say whether Norfolk State has any math requirements for graduation.
UPDATE [10 Feb.]
According to an article in the Chronicle of Education, Margaret Spelling, Secretary of Education, told Congress that “America must do more to prepare high-school students for college-level mathematics and science.”
These Virginia Beach scores suggest that a good place to start would be making sure that high school graduates can do high school-level math.
As for pursuing excellence by, for example, expanding “high-school students’ access to Advanced Placement classes,” forget about it, at least if the Democrats have anything to say about it:
… several Democratic senators said they worried that such a plan could leave out disadvantaged students. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said schools must provide equal opportunities for students to succeed in advanced classes. He expressed concern that focusing on those classes might shift money away from programs for needy children, “instead of lifting the whole generation.”
As usual, what Sen. Kennedy means by “equal opportunity” is equal, or at least proportional, results.
Oh, my. Silly me. I didn’t think you could get out of sixth grade without knowing multiplication and long division. Jeez. Appalling to think that even the highest-scoring racial bloc flunked this 15% of the time. What else can’t they do, I wonder?
Interesting that they’re all dollar amounts, and that the first one involves dividing a dollar amount by 52. Weekly salary estimate? If so, being a VA cop isn’t terribly lucrative.
this is the next battlefield, the qualifying exams for any position, including law and medicine and engineering. should the exams be changed so that more blacks can pass them. is passing biochemistry not in my culture. I don’t think so but i’m a minority within a minority which is very depressing.
But it has resulted in discrimination; discrimination between those who can do basic math and those who cannot.