The Impact of Racial and Ethnic Diversity on Educational Outcomes:
Cambridge, MA School District
January, 2002

As a survey in a high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it tends to identify the impact of diversity among higher education students (senior) in terms of Education outcomes.
As directors have stated, finally, they wanted to know whether students in this high school, from different races and ethnic groups, are treated good. About how they (students) treat or work with other ethnic groups after graduate.
Cambridge is a city with 100,000 populations and a single high school, so it is inevitable that students from different racial and ethnic groups attend in it.
This study administered in this high school among all students, when all were at school. The research was a part of a series by The Civil Right Project across the country. Every student was delivered a Questionnaire with some question about Diversity.
The research had been done among students in last school year. The survey included 70 distinct items, which were created to test several distinct dimensions of experiences and attitudes.
Finally, the researchers concluded that the research had positive news, but it showed that racial equity has not been fully achieved and there are still, in spite of desegregation policy in this city, certain kinds of unequal treatment within the school that could be improved with appropriate school leadership and staff training. They also have acknowledged leadership’s attempts to provide educational opportunities for students. Moreover, they appreciated their (leadership and staff) cooperation in doing research.
Some important points come in the mind, when you are looking at tables of the results. In most of the cases answers were very close together, for example in table about this question: “How comfortable are you working with students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds on group projects in your classes?” , the responds were as follow: ((Af-Am 90%-- Asian 94%-- Latinos 92%-- Whites 99%-- other 96%-- Multiracial 95%))
Or to this question: “To what extent do you believe that these discussions have changed your understanding of different points of view?”(Discussion about racial issues in social studies and history class): these are the answers: ((Af-Am 38%--Asian 43%--Latinos32%--Whites 40%--other 38%--Multiracial 50%)).
About first question, there is tendency among all groups especially Whites to work with other groups, but in second question you see the highest rate is fifty percent and the rest are less than that. Maybe it shows that they are not agree with the issues had discussed in classes. There is an exception about Asian in table 6 about their “prepare to work in a job setting where people are of a different racial or ethnic background”, in which they are 100 percent agree with it.
In sum, as researchers have argued, it is true that all the races have come close to a mutual agreement, but it requires more time for them to come toward a complete mutual comprehension, as we can see in cases like counselors in high school who should advise and encourage students, we can see Whites and Asian are more content than others. Again, as researchers have recommended, maybe high school’s staff need more training. I think there is no need, necessarily, to train them just if they can refer to their conscience.