Academic ability and racial segregation

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is charging the South Orange-Maplewood School District (SOMSD) of New Jersey's practice of placing students in separate academic levels amounts to racial segregation. Leveling can be described as the separation of students into academic tracks by achievement. SOMSD students are placed in levels based on their scores on the state standardized test, teacher recommendations and grades. At South Orange Middle School, in language arts, 63% of the students in Level 4 classes (the highest academic level) are white. In Level 3, 68% of the students are black. Level 2 classes are overwhelming comprised of black students — 90%, according to district data. The NAACP also wants to see Advanced Placement (AP) classes removed from the curriculum and classes taught at a single level that would ignore differences in academic ability.