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A school is Lancaster, Pa is using a new mentoring program designed to boost academics for African Americans,

McCaskey East High School separate black students from white students, then separates black females from males. This takes place six minutes each day and 20 minutes twice a month.

The goal is to boost kid's self esteem and help them to improve academically. The school has found that the black kids lag behind their white peers in certain academic areas.

Principal Bill Jiminez admits only blacks get this special treatment, but insists it needed to be done.

Others worry the program could have the opposite affect intended.

"Sometimes when we separate students this way we inadvertently reinforce the stereotypes, and may in fact stigmatize these children by suggesting that there is something wrong with them," says Pedro Noguera a Sociologist and Professor of Education at NYU.

I hope this works, but I have to agree with Mr Noguera on this one. There's no reason to separate the kids, even if it is for small perooids of time.