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BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT Business and industry representatives, working closely with educators, can ensure that the content of vocational and career education courses reflects the requirements of the marketplace. Business should support teacher training programs, research and special projects, and provide jobs for students. DESEGREGATION The Brown versus Topeka Decision must be supported as the constitutional law of the land. However, where population shifts and demographic changes mitigate against or preclude the racial desegregation of schools, we must demand quality education and equity of educational results. Where desegregation has resulted in predominantly black or one-race schools, the teaching and administrative staff should reflect the ethnic diversity of the community and the society at large; and curricula should reflect and respect the history and the cultural values of the diverse racial and ethnic groups which compromise our society. The original goal of desegregation was to improve the quality of education for all students. Desegregation is a process for achieving the twin goals of equity and excellence in education. The League will continue to devot its energies to reaching these goals. CURRICULUM REFORM The League supports the call to strengthen the academic curriculum for all students. However, there are three subject areas that are especially germane to the educational survival of our constituents. Math and Science: The League is committed to supporting the development and implementation of strategies to increase the pool of black and other minority students who are able to persist successfully through the math/science educational pipeline to postsecondary and advanced degree programs. Black History and Culture: The National Urban League will support the development and implementation of activities to ensure that curricula reflecting the history and culture of black and other minorities, and the contributions of these ethnic groups are included in appropriate areas of the public school curriculum. Computer Technology: The League will advocate for and support legislation designed to provide black, poor and other minority students access to the appropriate use of computer-assisted instruction. The National Urban League will advocate for and support activities which provide black, poor and minority parents access to the use of computers through community-based program. The National Urban League is committed to marshalling the necessary resources to prevent black, poor and minority students from becoming an underclass of technological illiterates. EARLY CHILDHOOD/KINDERGARTEN The National Urban League is committed to advocating for universal, free early childhood and kindergarten education for all students in general, and for black, poor and minority students in particular. COMPETENCY TESTING/STANDARDS The National Urban League unequivocally supports high-performance standards for teachers and students. We recognize that black, poor and minority student groups are more adversely affected by low standards and expectations than any other group. The League is aware that test scores do not reflect the person's potential for achievement as much as they reflect the educational experiences to which the student has been exposed. We note, however, that there is a veritable testing craze abroad in the land. It is therefore imperative that black, poor and minority students become advantaged with respect to test-taking skills. The League is therefore committed to providing opportunities for black, poor and minority students to acquire test wiseness, test-taking skill and to ensure that these students are exposed to educational experiences which provide them with the academic content upon which they are to be tested. The National Urban League remains unalterably opposed to the inappropriate use of test results to limit access to educational programs and/or careers and occupations and/or to establish elitist educational programs. Tests should be used as diagnostic instruments to strengthen curriculum and improve instruction, and as a means to measuring progress toward educational goals. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Currently, vocational/technical schools are preparing workers to enter the technical and information processing careers and occupations. Black, poor and minority students must have access to these programs, especially since the increase in job opportunities will occur in the information processing and technical areas. Demographic figured indicate that minority populations will become an increasingly large percentage of the workforce during the late 1980's and 1990's. The League must therefore support the development and implementation of programs to acquaint black students and parents with opportunities to participate in quality vocational education. LEADERSHIP The National Urban League pledges to support black educators in providing supplemental support programs to ensure the transmission of black history and culture to black students. ACCOUNTABILITY The National Urban League holds that we, the black community, must hold ourselves accountable for seeing to it that the school systems educate black, poor and minority students. HIGHER EDUCATION The National Urban League is committed to supporting the development and implementation of programs designed to increase the pool of black, poor and minority students who are prepared to enter and complete four-year institutions of higher education. THE TEACHING PROFESSION The National Urban League will use the resources of its educational network to join with black educators and their organizations to develop and implement support programs to increase the pool of well-prepared black teachers. The statement also said: "The National Urban League rejects this country's periodic, "Peek-a-Boo, Now you see, now you don't" approach to educational reform. We will provide continuous advocacy for education reform until we judge the educational system to be functioning effectively for all students."
