He says he supports affirmative action based on people’s socioeconomic status and anti-discrimination laws. But he says race-based preferences in state colleges have been a disservice to students who struggle in flagship universities.

Meanwhile, in a separate study conducted by the National School Board Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education, it was found that the influence of race on success in school is often unacknowledged, even when teachers use it as a factor in predicting future success.

The survey “Where We Learn” found that just over half the teachers surveyed disagree or strongly disagree that students will be successful in their school based on race. However, 75.3 percent of the teachers said racial barriers to educational and economic opportunity continued to  exist in the United States. Approximately one out of every four teachers (23.6%) did not believe that the students at their school would be successful at a community college or university.

“The results from this study underscore the importance of a multiplicity of factors that make up school climate and the need to attend to these factors,” says Dr. Brian Perkins, lead author and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Southern Connecticut State University.

Although the survey was mostly positive — it found that most teachers and administrators have high expectations for students and care whether students are successful — a few areas do require further investigation, says the report.

These areas include why significant numbers of teachers and administrators hold the view that students in their schools are not motivated to learn.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

— By Shilpa Banerji