Browsing by Subject "achievement gap"
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Item An Interpretive Case Study of Stakeholders' Perceptions on the Enrollment and Progression of African American Students in High School Foreign Language Courses(2012-10-19) Schoener III, HerbertThe "achievement gap" is a common term in Texas public education, often referring to academic differences in achievement among student ethnic groups within the core curriculum. Seldom is Foreign Language referenced in, nor even considered relevant to such discussions in addressing the achievement gaps that exist in our public schools, although Foreign Language holds significant influence on both students' high school and post-secondary academic trajectories. Throughout the state of Texas, it has been found that African American students are not progressing in foreign language study at the same rate and length as Hispanic, White, and Asian students; these stark achievement gaps appear to be going unmentioned, unnoticed, and/or unaddressed. This interpretive case study examined the perceptions of foreign language teachers, counselors, and administrators at a central Texas high school campus through a critical lens, regarding why they felt African American students are not progressing in foreign language courses, as compared to other student ethnic groups. Data collection for this qualitative study included individual interviews, focus group sessions, field notes, documents, and school records. For data analysis, the study employed the constant comparative method. Four general themes emerged from interviews and focus group sessions with stakeholders. These themes included deficit views, racial erasure, paralogical beliefs and behaviors, and organizational constraints, which described obstacles standing in the way of creating an equitable campus for all students. This study offers implications for educational policy, practice, and future research. For policy, Texas high school graduation requirements for foreign language should be increased and accountability measures for student learning in foreign languages should be instated. For practice, the high school should commit itself to ongoing, yearlong staff development to address equity traps at the campus. Practice should also include student performance data in foreign languages to help guide discussions about achievement gaps with African Americans and other student ethnic groups. Implications for future research include the need to examine the transferability of this study's findings to public middle school and high school campuses in Texas. Future studies should also investigate the equity trap avoidance and employment of the gaze in the context of public high school foreign language courses.Item High School Dropout: Perceptions and Voices of African American and Hispanic Students(2011-08-08) Baker, WandaThe purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of African American and Hispanic students who dropped out of school while exploring their schooling experiences and the factors they believe contributed to their decision to drop out. The case study approach was used in an effort to capture the informants? voices and the meanings they hold as students of color about the experience of dropping out. The findings from this study will contribute to the existing body of literature by contextualizing a student of color?s choice to dropout of school. The informants in this study were members of a large, diverse suburban high school, in a large school district in Southeast Texas. The 12 informants were purposefully selected resulting in seven Hispanic, five African American, seven female, and five male dropout students. A one-on-one interview with the informants generated data for this study. Additional data consisted of observations made by the researcher as a school administrator at the last school the informants attended and by prior knowledge about some of the informants from school records. The interpretational analysis process selected was based on Glaser and Strauss? constant comparative approach to analysis. The constant comparative data analysis generated three major themes of the factors that informants attributed to dropping out of school: (1) challenging home situations, (2) personal realities, and (3) school related factors that reflected a lack of support systems. The theoretical framework that grounded this study was based on Mehan?s Contextual Factors Surrounding Hispanic Dropouts. His construct suggested that for students of color dropping out was a function of social reproduction and deficit thinking. He further asserted that such outcomes were a result of school factors controlled and institutionalized by schools. However, contrary to Mahen?s theory, my informants noted challenging home situations as the primary consideration in their decision to drop out. My findings, based on the context of the Horizon High School, suggest that while the school as an institution is not responsible or accountable for the family factors that contribute to students? decision to drop out, it can provide systems of support for students to assist them in overcoming the causes outside of the school walls that contribute to their decision to leave.Item School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation as it Relates to Referral Reduction among Students of Color in an In-school Suspension Program: Perceptions of Key Stakeholders(2012-07-16) Long, RobertThe purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a problem of practice present in an actual school district. The study examined School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation as it relates to the recidivism rates of students of color in the in-school suspension setting. Over the course of one school year, the perceptions of seven middle school teachers, three parents, and two administrators were explored in a suburban middle school in Southeast Texas. Although In-school suspension programs exist in every American public school to some degree, little research has been done in regards to the academic outcomes associated with those who are frequently placed in this campus based disciplinary alternative educational placement. In many of these "placement" many of the students assigned are not afforded access to instructional materials, supplies, or a certified teacher. Since the enactment of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (2001), the achievement gap has been discussed and studied. However, few studies have been done to understand how the current practices in in-school suspension contribute to the achievement gap specifically among students of color. This study examined key stakeholder's perceptions of School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports, and In-school suspension as a vehicle for referral reduction and removal of middle school students from their academic setting. The participants were "key-stakeholder" parents, teachers, and administrators who educate students at Caden Middle School. Findings from this problem of practice indicated that not only was the campus not imploring consistent practices and interventions related to and promoted by the SWPBS system in the in-school suspension setting, many of the staff members teachers and administrators alike did not adhere to the philosophical tenants of the SWPBS within the general classroom setting. The research presented in the record of study, identified gaps in both perceptions and understanding among key stakeholders in regards both in-school suspension and the school-wide positive behavior support systems at Caden Middle School. Results of this from this problem of practice found a severe disconnect in understanding the purpose and rationale of SWPBS among the administrators, teachers, and parents that participated in this study. Furthermore, the variance in the "self-sense making" done by each of the stakeholder groups after campus leadership failed to communicate, support, and sustain district expectations for program implementation with fidelity. Initiatives implemented through the investigation of the questions related to this problem of practice assisted in providing relevant professional development to re-solicit teacher and staff buy-in, prioritization of organization goals, and engaging teacher leadership to re-implement SWPBS to countermand system practices that were contrary to the district's original expectations.