Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of School Psychologists: The Influence Of Implicit Bias On The Disproportionate Identification Rates Of African American Students Evaluated For Emotional Disturbance, Sonya Coe-Milo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As advocates, school psychologists remain ethically responsible and uniquely positioned to identify social injustices and promote nondiscriminatory practices in prekindergarten through grade 12 public education institutions. Implicit bias and its influence on African American students is one such practice. In public education, implicit bias contributes to discipline disproportionality, differentiated teacher support, pedagogical practices, and adult perceptions and expectations of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. These factors directly correlate to the disproportionate identification rates of African American students for special education and related services. Therefore, this phenomenological qualitative study examined the personal, lived experiences and perceptions of school psychologists regarding implicit bias …

Transforming Black Students’ Higher Education Experiences And Lives: A Proposal For The Csu, Don Lundy

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

For decades, a racial “achievement gap” has persisted in U.S. higher education. Specifically, White students have outperformed Black students on a number of indicators, including college admissions, standardized test scores, and graduation rates. This graduate project considers several explanations for this persistent inequity. The root of the problem, it argues, is U.S. higher education’s history of racism and exclusion and the oversaturation of whiteness in these institutions. In other words, U.S. higher education was built for and continues to serve White students at the expense of Black students. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) show us that when whiteness is …

Understanding The Perceptions Of African American High School Students On The Development Of Student-Teacher Relationships, Michael Hensley

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Studies have shown the positive associations between academic achievement, student engagement, and student-teacher relationships (Willms, 2003; Roorda et al., 2011). However, limited research exists on the subject of student-teacher relationships from the student perspective, and virtually no literature focuses on student-teacher relationships from the student perspective in the southern United States. This qualitative study was designed to collect and examine the perceptions of African American high school students in Arkansas on the development of student-teacher relationships. Data was collected through focus group meetings held with African American students in two diverse high schools. The constant comparative method of data analysis …

Discipline Disproportionality Of Black Students With Disabilities: Principals' Perspectives, Wanda L. Van Dyke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the problem of practice found in discipline disproportionality of Black students with disabilities in an urban school district with a majority Black student and teacher population. Through personal interviews with building level administrators, data was gained to determine common themes that impact discipline disproportionality of Black students with disabilities. A qualitative inquiry approach, in the form of a case study was used to determine principals’ perspectives about factors that may impact discipline disproportionality. Student disciplinary records were examined to verify disproportionality and investigate patterns and categories related to students with and without …

Developing Teachers’ Ability To Provide Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, London R. Moore

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature of developing teachers’ ability to provide Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). This study places the teacher as the catalyst for change in African American students’ experience. Based on an examination of past research, this study turned to CRP as the instructional shift needed to impact the educational experience for African American students and a professional learning community (PLC) as the vehicle for developing eight teachers’ ability to provide CRP in their classrooms. The study was guided by the following research question: What is the nature of developing teachers ability to provide …

Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports To Reduce Short Term Suspensions Of African American K-5 Students, Monisha Bynum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated was the disproportionate suspensions of African American students in Grades K to 5 in an elementary school in Virginia despite implementing positive behavioral interventions support (PBIS) intended to reduce this disparity. Exploring the implementation of PBIS is important because an increased understanding may lead to the development of additional supports and training that may reduce the short term suspensions of African American students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore why implementing PBIS was not successful in reducing short term suspensions. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory served as the conceptual framework. Two research questions focused on …

Afriican American Students' Experiences Of Stress From Discrimination In Online Doctoral Education, Senovia Wyche

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

There is a lack of current research about the experiences of stress related to discrimination encountered by African American students in online doctoral programs. Such discrimination can negatively impact the academics, educational experiences, and overall health of this student population. In this generic qualitative study, how African American students in online doctoral programs interpreted, perceived, and responded to their experiences of stress regarding discrimination was explored. Using the conceptual framework of Lazarus and Folkman’s cognitive appraisal theory, the research questions addressed stress related to discrimination encountered in online educational institutions, discriminatory factors perceived as inhibitors towards earning a doctoral …

Exploring The Educational Journeys Of African American Honors Alumni(Nae), Sammie Marie Burton

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore and examine the experiences of African American students to and through collegiate honors programs. I aimed to provide another frame for understanding intellectuals by exploring the educational journeys of eight (8) African American, high-achieving alumni(nae). Through qualitative inquiry, this study gives an in-depth understanding to the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that helped students navigate challenging academic settings and evaluate the importance of honors education for students within the Black community. Guided by critical race theory (CRT), findings from this study will provide the research community with entry points to social justice practice …

African American High School Students’ Attitudes Toward Mathematics And Perceptions Of Extant Culturally Relevant Pedagogy And Ethnomathematics, Brice Le Anthony Scott

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

African American students' severe underachievement in mathematics in comparison to their peers has been framed as an achievement gap that continues to widen despite the efforts of many education scholars and leaders. Throughout history in the United States, mathematics education has been designed, developed, and delivered within a Eurocentric philosophy. Consequently, African American students have been at a systemic disadvantage in terms of perceiving the cultural relevance of mathematics; which has served as a detriment to their academic success. By merging ethnomathematics and culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) into a theoretical framework, this study investigates these issues and proposes a shift …

African American And First-Generation Students’ Perceptions Of And Experiences With An Academic Cohort, Sovent Zantrell Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Underrepresented student populations are faced with numerous barriers and are often overlooked on many college campuses. The aim of this research was to better understand academic cohorts and if they help reduce some of the barriers faced by African American and first-generation students which can ultimately affect retention and persistence to graduation. In order to gather this information, interviews and surveys were conducted with students once enrolled in the foundations for academic success track (Fastrack) program at the University of Mississippi. Results from the interviews and surveys indicate that while the Fastrack program seemed to support successful social transitions for …

What Works? Teaching African American Students In Urban Schools, Shawn Renee Forman

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The academic achievement gap for African American students compared to their White counterparts has historically and currently remained significant. Many researchers have been prompted to address this issue by examining the practices utilized to teach African American students. The findings from this study suggest that when teachers move away from the traditional methods of teaching and move toward teaching practices that take into consideration the individual student, motivation and academic performance can be achieved. This research presents a general literature review, interviews from four urban elementary school principals, and the stories of five African American urban elementary teachers who were …

Black Space On A White Campus; Exploring The Relationship Between African American Students And The Physical Structure Of The University Of Mississippi, Drew Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the University of Mississippi, despite institutional efforts to distance the present from the past, issues of race continue to influence the campus and the experiences of African-American students. This thesis examines the relationship between the physical structure of the university of Mississippi campus and African American students, and investigates the creation of "counter-publics." this thesis analyzes works in critical race theory, higher education, and social geography to argue that the "whiteness" of the university of Mississippi campus creates social and educational barriers for African American students. Furthermore, along with being surrounded by "whiteness," African American students lack any physical …

A Pilot Study: The Effects Of Mentoring On At-Risk African American, Ninth Grade Male Students, Tira C. Brockman

Dissertations

A pilot study on the effects of mentoring on ninth-grade at-risk African American males was completed with 25 students. This study was conducted during one calendar school year. The purpose was to use mentoring as an added intervention in support of some struggling students, males in particular, who were at-risk of dropping out of school before graduation. This study was meaningful, because these students were consistently failing, and the school was looking for innovative ways to academically encourage these at-risk students. The study was conducted at a ninth grade academy directly linked to the high school, in an urban city. …

An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Black High School Students In The Mathematics Classroom: A Qualitative Study, Jennifer Banks

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

For the past 30 years, there has been a significant “achievement gap” between the mathematics academic performance of Black and White students. This “achievement gap,” has been used to validate deficit thinking frameworks and portray Black students as unmotivated and deviant. This study suggests that it is necessary to change the national conversation of the achievement gap to one that Milner (2012) refers to as the opportunity gap.

Using the stories of Black high school students’ experiences in the mathematics classroom, this dissertation displays the various opportunity gaps that Black students experience within the classroom. This study utilizes qualitative research …

Exploring An Act Preparation Course As An Intervention Method For African American Students, Theresa Linette Harris Badgett

Dissertations

In recent years, there has been an interest in the effectiveness of college assessment preparation, which has prompted many studies. The majority of these studies researched instruction/coaching on the Scholastic Assessment Tool (SAT). Notably, the college entrance exam has become a growing concern for minorities, particularly African American students. Prior research by ACT, Inc. (2012, p. 2) has shown African American students rank the lowest in American College Test (ACT) scores of all racial groups. Between 2006 and 2011 the average ACT composite scores increased for White, Asian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and American/Pacific Islanders. Hispanic scores remained unchanged and the …

What's "Black" Got To Do With It: An Analysis Of Low-Income Black Students And Educational Outcomes, Derrick E. Griffith

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Well-known social scientist William Wilson notes the Black underclass is particularly at risk of developing behaviors and attitudes that promote educational and social isolation. This situation has become characteristic of America's inner cities (Wilson 1996). Education as the great arbiter of social mobility seems to be less true for America's most vulnerable Black students. Low-income Black students graduate high school at a much lower rate than their middle- to upper-income counterparts. This statistic prompts the examination of low-income (vulnerable) students and their high school educational outcomes.

The educational (under)achievement of Black students has been well documented and researched. Far too …

Do Learning Communities Matter?: An Examination Of The Retention Of At-Risk African American Students At An Urban, Commuter, Research University, Cheryl Deon White

Wayne State University Dissertations

The effectiveness of learning community participation on the retention of at-risk, African American students at a public, urban, primarily commuter, research institution was the focus of this research. A nonexperimental, retrospective, descriptive, cohort research design was used with a sample of 318 first time in any college (FTIAC) African American students enrolled in the Alternative Admission Division (AAD) of Metropolitan Urban University (MUU) starting in the fall 2006 semester. The primary research hypothesis was that African American students who were admitted into the AAD at MUU in the fall 2006 semester would have greater academic outcomes (e.g. grade point average …

Summer School Correlation To Reading Lexile Levels Of African American Students In A Low Socio-Economic Area In Grades One Through Four, Channie Bell

Dissertations

The achievement gap between African American students and other races was continuously widening. School districts across the country were examining several programs to address the issue. This study attempted to examine the overall benefit of summer school attendance on reading achievement. It evaluated the relationship between summer school attendance and lexile levels of African American students from a low socio-economical area, in grades one through four. Participants for the study were not recruited as secondary data was used for the research. The study site school district’s secondary data from the summer school session of 2012 was analyzed. The data included …

Educators' Perceptions About African American Student Referrals To Special Education, Ydeaira Erica Ely

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The overrepresentation of African American (AA) students in special education is a problem in the United States, with concerns about the lack of uniformity in AA students' referrals to special education, and whether the referral process is applied consistently for all students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the perceptions of teachers, school counselors, and school administrators concerning the special education referral process, and whether the process was applied consistently for all students. The 2 theories providing the theoretical foundation were critical race theory and zone of proximal development. Criterion sampling was used to select 6 …

Case Study Of The Voluntary Student Transfer Program: The Perspectives Of African American Students And Parent Participants In One Midwestern School District, Rosalyn Harper Goodwin

Dissertations

This study investigated the perspectives of four students and 6 parent participants of the Voluntary Student Transfer program, an inter-district desegregation program that involves transporting African American students from urban area schools to surrounding county schools. Due to limited and dated research related to the Voluntary Student Transfer (VST) program, the researcher employed a qualitative collective case study framework which included a semi-structured interview protocol and questionnaires to gather perceptual data of parent and student participants of the program. The collective case studies revealed that parent and student participants of the VST program were satisfied with the program overall had …

A Dialogue About Race: African-American Teachers Discussing History And Experience Of African-Americans In The Teaching Profession, Christina Clair Owens

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The achievement gap in the United States develops when millions of children enter the classroom on their first day of kindergarten. The sociological effects of the achievement gap as it relates to the racial and socio-economic strata create cyclical, systemic problems in our country that ultimately affect the next generations of children in our schools. The purpose of this study is to learn from adult African-American teachers about the issues confronting African-American high school students who no longer have role models in the classroom, as was previously the case, prior to school desegregation. A former teacher, of African-American history, was …

Successful Schools For African American Children: A Case Study Of Franklin Elementary School, Staci Lynn Kimmons

Dissertations (1934 -)

The goal of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of what makes a successful school for African American children. Theresa Perry's (2010) Theory of Practice for African American School Achievement provided the framework for my study. Perry states that schools need to have two characteristics for African American students to be successful. First African American students must be members of a community of practice, which normalizes achievement. Second, schools must offer a broad range of supports that allow students to learn, to practice, and to receive reinforcement with regard to the behaviors and practices that are necessary …

The Relationship Between Racial Identity And The Socialization Of Black Ph.D. Students At Predominantly White Institutions, Ferlin Garbe Mcgaskey

Doctoral Dissertations

Successful graduate student socialization has been characterized as the acceptance and adoption of disciplinary values and beliefs into the students’ identity (Bragg, 1976; Weidman, Twale, & Stein, 2001). Some scholars assert that assimilating the values and beliefs of the discipline may be difficult for Blacks students as their cultural beliefs and values may be incongruent (Antony, 2002; Tierney & Rhoads, 1994). Surprisingly, there appears to be no empirical studies exploring this assertion for Black Ph.D. students. The purpose of this study was to determine if cultural beliefs and values influence the socialization experiences of Black Ph.D. students. Specifically, using racial …

Saturday Academy: Student, Parent, And Teacher Perceptions Of An Intervention For At-Risk Middle School African American Students In A High Poverty School, Meoldy Latrice Witherspoon

Dissertations

I examined the perceptions of parents, students, and teachers of Saturday Academy, an intervention for students who are at risk of failing academically. The problem is that nearly half of students who attend high school may be at risk of dropping out before they graduate. The purpose of this study was to describe, evaluate, and analyze the perceptions of students, parents, and teachers of Saturday Academy. This study is significant because at-risk students are in need of an intervention that helps them to be successful at school. The study was conducted in a small middle school within a large school …

In Their Voices-Retaining African American Students At A Predominately White University: An Examination Of Theoretical Implications And Student Cerntered Practices, Gwendolyn Deloach-Packnett

Dissertations

This investigation is a study on the impact of a research-based holistic developmental retention plan for African American students who attend/attended a predominately White institution (PWI). The strategic praxis connected theoretical implications and student centered practices to enhance positive retention outcomes. This study examined the impact of these student centered retention offerings used in the Office of Multicultural Relations (MCR) at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Founded in 1997, the expressed mission of MCR was to address the challenges of the University’s largest minority population, placing emphasis on the retention of its African American students. Two focus groups (graduate …

How General Education And Special Education Teachers Perceive The Behaviors Of African American Students In Their Classrooms Within A Suburban School Setting, Claudia Powers

Theses and Graduate Projects

This study was to explore the perceptions of general education and special education teachers and their perceptions of behaviors in their classrooms. A qualitative design using structured interview and observation was used to collect the data in the winter and spring of 2007. A sample of twelve teachers consisting of six general education and six special education teachers were recruited from Irondale High School in New Brighton, MN. Data collection and analysis were concurrent. Three themes emerged from the collected data. The themes regarding how the teachers perceived behaviors in their classes are teacher-student relationship, student's dress and the jargon …

Expectations And Experiences Of African American Students At Two Predominantly White Universities In Southern Appalachia., Brenda White Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the academic, cultural, and social expectations and experiences of 20 African American juniors and seniors at 2 predominantly White universities in the southern Appalachian region of the United States. The participants' described experiences revealed how institutional practices promoted or obstructed their persistence to graduation.

Qualitative ethnographic methodology with critical race theory as the conceptual framework guided the study. This approach allowed for the perspectives and lived experiences of the students to be voiced and heard. Data collected included their stories based on semistructured interviews, document reviews, and observations. The constant comparison method was used to analyze the …

Cultural Disparities Of Sat Scores And The Influence On Higher Education Opportunities For African American And Latino Students, Nichelle Hoover

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Inequalities in the distribution of education resources and cultural identification can lead to lower SAT scores for African American and Latino students. By using SAT scores as one of the primary sources to determine admission to institutions of higher education, educators may be denying minority students admission to a variety of colleges and universities, depriving the student of his or her best choice and the college of an engaged and diverse student body, and contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities in the system. The evidence contained in this literature review shows that, given the current system, those students' SAT scores …

Effective Strategies For Teaching At-Risk African American Males: An Inservice Manual, Ethel L. Wellington-Peak

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop an inservice training manual to guide the delivery of teacher training sessions designed to implement effective teaching strategies for at-risk African American male students at Larchmont Elementary School, in the Tacoma, Washington school district.