Education Commons^™

The Intersection Of Ethnic Studies And Public Policy: A Study Of California High School Board Members' Perspectives, Russell Castañeda Calleros

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap between Students of Color and their Euro American counterparts has persisted for decades. Too many Students of Color are becoming disinterested in high school curricula and are being pushed out prior to graduation. This mixed-methods study identified the perspectives of California high school board members toward Ethnic Studies (ES) curricula and the extent to which these perspectives informed public policy. This study was completed in two phases. In Phase I, a link to a survey was sent to all California high school board members, which elicited quantitative data. In Phase II, semistandardized interviews that generated qualitative data …

Missing In Action: A Critical Narrative Study Of The Absence Of Black Female Secondary Science Teachers, Nadia Despenza

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Despite the increasing research that lists cultural incongruence in the classroom among the top factors that speaks to the disproportionate numbers of Black females obtaining STEM degrees there is limited research on the actual number of Black female science teachers at the secondary level in education and the impact this plays on Black females in science, technology, engineering, and math classrooms (STEM). The consequence of all this is that we find ourselves with Black female science teachers “missing in action,” and only 5% of Black females receiving a STEM degree. I employ critical pedagogy, critical race theory, and Black feminist …

A Paut Neteru Journey: An Autoethnographic Study Of A Black Female Charter School Leader Using An Africentric Approach, Patricia Linn Williams

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to examine the obstacles and experiences of a Black female charter school leader using an Africentric approach to educating Black children, and ways in which social and material inequalities may have shaped her journey. A conceptual framework that blends African-centered pedagogy, African womanism, and transformational leadership is used to guide this qualitative autoethnographic study. Use of the autoethnographic method provides an opportunity to examine the relational dynamics of the experiences of this Black female charter school leader in the cultural context of the Black community and neoliberal education. Data analysis is captured from autobiographical storytelling within three …

Closing The Gap Of The Educational Needs Of Homeless Youth: A Case Study Of A Mobile School And Youth Learning Center In Los Angeles, Tiffany G. Edwards

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The number of homeless children and youth in the United States is on the rise (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2016). Between 2016 and 2017 in the Los Angeles County Homeless Count, there was a 41% increase in the number of homeless minors (The Los Angeles Service Authority, 2017). Education is key to bringing people out of poverty and ending the cycle of homelessness.

Using a socio-psychological lens, this case study examined the perceptions of six of the staff and volunteers at one site of the Griffon Learning Center, an organization trying to close the educational gaps of …

The Politics Of Ethnic Studies, Cultural Centers, And Student Activism: The Voices Of Black Women At The Academic Borderlands, Frederick Smith

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Through employing critical narratives, this qualitative study examined the experiences of Black women who utilized their scholarship and activism to address campus climates at a predominantly Chicanx Latinx institution in Southern California. Six Black women – two faculty, two staff, and two students – participated in the study. All participants were active with Ethnic Studies (Pan-African Studies), the campus Cross Cultural Centers, and Black Student Union student organization in some capacity. Literature on the three areas focuses on the history of and ongoing struggle to exist, significance to campus life, and meaning in the lives of marginalized and minoritized communities. …

Global Education: Assets And Challenges For Global Competency In Catholic Schools, Beate Winkler Nguyen

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Global education for global competency in Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is neither defined nor aligned as a priority for its 21st-century learners. Various schools within the Department of Catholic Schools address global competency through world languages, dual-language immersion, activities, or programs, but no specific global education focus permeates the entire district. The relevance of global competency for nearly 80,000 students from Early Childhood (EC) programs/PreK–12th grade (high school) Catholic schools in Los Angeles is not just a curricular necessity or spiritual aspiration, it is, at its core, a question of social justice, particularly for students of …

Homegrown Teacher Project: Developing An Early Intervention Pipeline For Teachers Of Color, Yadira Moreno

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation aims to explore a solution to address the cultural and racial gap between the teaching force and the student population in California. Homegrown teachers are teachers who return to their community where they were born and educated. Addressing the equity issues faced in public schools begins with exploring the benefits of teachers of color in the classroom.

This action research study followed five homegrown first-generation Latina teachers through a 3-month process of mentoring first-generation Latina sixth-graders who hope of entering the teaching profession in the future. The study was guided by critical pedagogy, a mentoring framework, the critical …

Transformative Urban Education Leaders In Los Angeles, Sarah Figueroa

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The job of an education system-level leader in urban environments is becoming more demanding, and the environment in which they operate more complex. Filling these very critical roles with individuals who possess the right characteristics could mean the difference between success and failure at improving the educational outcomes of students who are more often than not students of color and economically disadvantaged students.

Through seven interviews, this qualitative study focused on understanding the leadership dispositions that contributed to the success of transformative urban education system-level leaders in Los Angeles. The new transformative urban education leadership framework was developed using elements …

Teachers’ Knowledge, Perceptions And Practices Regarding Academic Literacy Development Of Long-Term English Learners, Daniel William Alamo

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Secondary educators must be knowledgeable in their content while increasing the academic literacy of their students, a process further complicated when working with students who are long-term English learners (LTELs). This mixed-methods study explored the knowledge, practices, and perceptions of six secondary teachers working to develop the academic literacy of LTEL students in content-specific classrooms. Set within a sociocultural framework, the study provides a greater understanding of the challenges and successes educators experience when working at the secondary level with students with diverse learning needs. The data were collected in two phases. Phase I included a quantitative survey of teachers, …

"Nevertheless, She Persisted": The Challenges And Opportunities Experienced By Novice Female Charter School Principals, Heather Mcmanus

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

While education is typically considered a feminized field, educational administration has long been dominated by males. This dissertation examines the historical reasons for this gender paradox and explores the challenges and opportunities specifically for novice female charter school principals through the theoretical frameworks of organizational socialization and social role theory. The dissertation studied 7 novice female charter school principals within their first 3 years in the role and utilized a qualitative methodology with semistructured interviews, focus groups, and field notes as data sources. Findings indicate that it is still difficult to be considered a good leader and a good female. …

Transformative Youth Organizing: A Decolonizing Social Movement Framework, Emily Estioco Bautista

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The compounding experiences of colonial miseducation of youth of color, neoliberal policies and logics in urban communities, colonial logics that render the role of spirituality in social movements as invisible, and adultism in legal and social institutions constrain the transformative possibilities of youth agency in social movements. This study explored (a) how educators working in youth movements can build a decolonizing paradigm and practice for transformative organizing and (b) new paradigmatic interventions and theoretical directions that can help inform a transformative youth organizing approach. The research was conducted through a decolonizing interpretive research methodology (Darder, 2015a) and utilized the interrelated …

Social Justice And The Superintendency: A Study Of Eight Los Angeles County Superintendents, Matthew Hill

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Although there is a significant body of literature on superintendents and another on social justice, there is not a comprehensive body of research on superintendents who focus on social justice issues. It is important to study what actions superintendents with a social justice focus take to address inequities in their school districts. The primary research question for this study is: how do superintendents within Los Angeles County define social justice, and how have they implemented social justice tenets within their school districts? To answer this question, eight semistructured interviews were conducted with current superintendents within Los Angeles County. The results …

Hablando De La Herida: Honoring Spanish-Speaking Parents’ Experiences Obtaining School-Based Speech And Language Services For Their Children, Amalia W. Hernández

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latino/a parents in their attempts to obtain school-based speech and language services for their children; the impact of these experiences on parents; and parent perspectives on how school-based speech-language pathologists can co-create collaborative relationships. Through a detailed analysis of a focus group and individual interviews of 31 Spanish-speaking parents of children in the REAAD! (Reaching Educational Achievement and Development) Literacy Enrichment Program at a university in Los Angeles, California, this study provided a space for parents to share their experiences and offer insights regarding what shaped their experiences. Through the theoretical lens of …

Navigating The Sexual Politics On The High School Campus: Testimonios Of Young Chicana/Latinas, Mayra Alejandra Lara

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

By employing pláticas y encuentros, this qualitative study examined the testimonios of Chicana/Latina youth and their experiences with navigating the sexual politics on the high school campus. Six young Chicana/Latinas, all of whom graduated from the same high school in South East Los Angeles, participated in the study. The study used two frameworks: Chicana/Latina feminist theory and critical pedagogy to analyze the young women’s testimonios. Findings speak of their daily struggle with adults policing, objectifying, and containing their bodies; as well as the benefit of a third space, counterspaces, for self-actualization. This study contributes to this field by identifying how …

Writing Ourselves Into Existence: A Spoken Word Artist’S Autoethnography Of A Liberatory Hip-Hop Pedagogy, Kahlil Almustafa Gasper

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

While there is growing research about the positive impact of teaching artists (TAs), these professional arts educators are an underused resource. As a TA, I have more than a decade of experience implementing spoken word and hip-hop as a pedagogical approach in urban public school classrooms. By conducting this autoethnographic study, I sought to explore insights from these 10 years of lived experience for understanding and documenting the critical principles of my practice as a TA. This autoethnography of my life as a TA tells stories from urban public school classrooms during my formative years as an educator. The research …

In Our Own Voices: Perceptions Of Teacher Care Among African American Male Secondary Students With Special Needs, Didi Watts

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Historically, African American male students have been disproportionately overrepresented in special education under the eligibility categories emotional disturbance, and behavior disorders. Additionally, African American male students with disabilities have consistently underperformed academically. If a student does not perceive that the teacher cares for him, it may be more difficult for a teacher to be successful in engaging the student in the learning experience. The literature indicates that care is a basic need that is grounded in relationships. In schools, those relationships are based on the interaction between the student and teacher. There is a lack of data that specifically addresses …

A Critical Interrogation Of The Mind, Brain, And Education Movement: Toward A Social Justice Paradigm, Bibinaz Pirayesh

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Much attention has been given to “bridging the gap” between research and practice since neuroscience research first made claim to its potential impact in classrooms. With the inception of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) as a new interdisciplinary field, an unprecedented opportunity to explore the educational implications of new research coming out of neuroscience has presented itself. And yet, the gap between research and practice persists while new problems arise as education looks to brain science for answers with ongoing social and academic difficulties faced by students. A critical bicultural methodology, grounded in a decolonizing interpretive approach, is utilized to …

En Busca De Un Futuro Mejor [In Search Of A Better Future]: Understanding Charter School Selection By Immigrant Latina/O Families, Carlos Alberto Garcia

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on understanding the process immigrant Latina/o families in the greater Los Angeles area underwent when selecting a charter school for their children. Through narrative interviews, 13 participants shared their perspectives of how and why they chose a charter school, and detailed the factors they considered in their selection process. Through the theoretical framework of cultural community wealth, social and cultural capital, participants answered the research question why and how do immigrant Latina/o parents research and apply to charter schools, and what are the factors they consider in the decision-making process?

Participants described social networks as connections …

Art Museums And Latino English Learners: Teaching Artists In The K-8 Classroom, Veronica Alvarez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Latino English learners (ELs), among the largest student population in the United States K-12 school system, continue to lag behind their English-proficient peers. They also tend to attend segregated schools, have less-qualified teachers, and lack access to rigorous curriculum, including the arts. Museum education departments have increasingly sought to fill the gap in arts education for underserved populations. This mixed methods study explored the degree to which teaching artists (TAs) from a large metropolitan museum are effectively addressing the art education needs of Latino ELs. The dissertation study occurred in two phases. Phase 1 included quantitative analysis of observations of …