As regular as the change of the seasons, the Howard County school system's Black Student Achievement Program comes under periodic scrutiny by a public at turns focused on or frustrated by the problems that the program is meant to address.
This year, Howard Board of Education members have focused on a program run under the auspices of BSAP, which supplies academic monitors to under-achievers in county schools. They do this by paying minimum wage to parents who provide support and encouragement to students who have fallen behind.
Black under-achievers are given "priority" in the program, although school officials insist that no student is turned away. But board members recently expressed concern that the funds fail to go to non-black students who may be equally at risk. They want the program expanded.
In their critique, board members have stumbled upon one of the enduring conundrums of BSAP. Almost since its creation in 1986, the group has come under attack in much the same way that affirmative action hiring programs are increasingly maligned. Part of the problem is the name of the group itself, which does not project the image of an organization open to all. In fact, the BSAP program differs from school to school, although it is difficult to gauge its inclusiveness.
If BSAP is to be for all under-achievers, steps must be taken to encourage non-black students to participate. That would likely entail a name change.
Making changes, however, is no easy proposition, particularly for a program whose constituency has historically been on the defensive. The fear is that a BSAP without the emphasis on "black" will ignore black children altogether. But if statistics are correct, the critical needs still reside among African-American students, and officials should continue to target those on the bottom rung.
Expanding the program to include all in need is a good idea. It is not only fair, it could help reduce the stigma that comes from being singled out as a black under-achiever. It says to all students that no one is immune to failure, that plenty of youngsters need a helping hand to succeed. The school system shouldn't perpetuate the notion that only blacks are in need of special academic assistance. Such perceptions do more harm than good.