How effective are educational standards towards young black males? Education was found to be more difficult for African American males in all schools. Regarding David E. Kirkland's article, “Focus on Policy,” the current standardization movement in English Language Arts (ELA) shifts attention away from the perspectives of young African American men. The ELA system ignores how black males live and learn. In addition, this movement particularly affects the commitment to English against which blacks are fighting. The problem with education is that its system of learning has not proven effective in the hope of gaining the knowledge that everyone deserves, especially towards black males. In his efforts to address this problem, David E. Kirkland describes the possibilities that everyone can learn through the individual's learning styles, approaches to literacy, and the stories of six young African Americans who follow the education. learning style, Kirkland sets his sights on one person in particular named Derrick. During his observations, it was noted that the young man had difficulty understanding the task at hand. In response to this challenge, Derrick's teacher gave him a new task, which might interest him. As Derrick accomplishes his mission, Kirkland takes an interpretive approach to his actions and concludes that he is applying his own learning style to complete the mission. After his observation, he heard that the mission accomplished by Derrick seemed entertaining to him. This proves that implementing certain learning styles can promote engagement and enjoyment of a mission. For black men, ...... middle of paper ...... like college students. Through many of his observations, he formulated new problems, theories and solutions to the problems at hand. In order to engage students in reading and writing, problems must be solved by appealing to the motivation of others who persuade them into learning. How effective will a person's learning become while working toward a specific goal that the person is striving to achieve? Works Cited Kirkland, David E. “Listening to Echoes: Teaching Young Black Men Literacy and the Distraction of ELA Standards.” Language Arts 88.5 (2011): 373-80. Web.November 11, 2013. Kirkland, DE (2011), Books Like Clothes: Engaging Young Black Men in Reading. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (2011): 199-208. Internet. November 11, 2013. Kirkland, David E. A Search Beyond Silence: Young Black Male Literacy. New York: Teachers College Press, 2013. Print.