Legislators have rejected a bill that would have required the Kansas education department to create ethnic-studies courses and standards, according to the Wichita Eagle.
Advocates argue that ethnic-studies courses lead to more academic engagement among students of color and would help all students have a more comprehensive understanding of history. In January, Stanford University researchers released a study showing that students in San Francisco who took ethnic studies fared better in other academic courses.
State lawmakers initially approved an ethnic-studies amendment, but it later fell through. Some representatives credited their change of heart to the fear of usurping the role of the state education department by adding requirements. But others had argued that the bill was discriminatory because it did not include white Americans.
