(2020). Bilingual Education for All in Rhode Island: Assuring the Inclusion of Minoritized Language. NECTFL Review, n86 p45-61 Nov. This paper explores the policies and ideologies affecting language education in Rhode Island, where as a result of a State Language Roadmap, groups are working at the grassroots level toward the implementation of dual language immersion in all public school districts. The author points out that while the push from business for multilingual employees, with a focus on the languages of economically powerful nations, could risk the further marginalization of minoritized languages, it could alternatively be leveraged to support minoritized languages equitably and make bilingualism and biliteracy the norm for all students. Using the critical race theory (CRT) as a lens along with Valdez, Delavan, and Freire's (2014) global human capital and equity/heritage frameworks, this argument is contextualized by focusing on the case of Guatemalans and Cambodians in Rhode Island…. [PDF]
(2022). African Immigrant Students' Participation in Canadian Health-Promoting Schools. Health Education Journal, v81 n4 p399-412 Jun. Background: Students are key stakeholders in schools, and their participation in the work of health-promoting schools (HPS) is crucial. This study focused on African immigrant students to Canada, who face the unique challenge of navigating unfamiliar school systems. The purpose of the study was to understand how immigrant students imagined, felt and thought about themselves in relation to education and health-related programmes from their perspective as Nova Scotia school stakeholders. Methods: The investigation was informed by critical race theory and social constructivism and involved three research methods: photovoice, individual interviews and focus groups. Study participants were 15 secondary school students of colour, aged between 12 and 21 years, who had migrated to Nova Scotia from Africa and the Caribbean region within the last 10 years. Findings: Three overarching themes were developed from the study relating to: the pedagogy of the HPS, Black consciousness and school… [Direct]
(2022). An Analysis of the Underrepresentation of Minoritized Groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education. School Science and Mathematics, v122 n5 p271-280 May. The current school system lacks adequate racial representation among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers, particularly among Black and Latinx populations. This is a critical equity issue due to the increasing racial diversity of the student population and the benefits of race congruence between teachers and students. Using a Critical Race Theory framework, this phenomenological mixed-methods study explores the underrepresentation of minoritized groups in STEM education. Original surveys and interviews were used to explore the experiences of Black and Latinx STEM majors. The purpose of this study is to better understand the Students of Color's (SOC) positive and negative educational experiences in STEM and how those experiences impact a SOC's interest in becoming a STEM teacher. Findings reveal that SOC are not interested in pursuing careers in STEM teaching because of the low pay of the teaching profession and the impact of stereotype threat. This… [Direct]
(2022). The Color of Conduct: A S.I.S.T.A.'s Tale of Race, Housing, and Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Missouri – Saint Louis. S.I.S.T.A., suffering in silence to be acknowledged, is an acronym that symbolizes the hidden voices of Black women in higher education and abroad. This study examined the experiences of a graduate student woman of color impacted by university housing policies and practices as a judicial student conduct officer at a historically white institution. Using autoethnography as a methodology, grounded in critical race theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework, this qualitative study aims to highlight the ways Black women can and have been harmed in predominantly white spaces and processes within higher education. The application of the aforementioned frameworks found the major themes: (a) power vs. resistance, (b) shifting in the Black body, (c) humanizing Black students and staff, and (d) I AM MORE than melanin to be critical in uncovering Black women voices and moving the field of higher education forward. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of… [Direct]
(2018). Beyond Discomfort? Equity Coaching to Disrupt Whiteness. Whiteness and Education, v3 n2 p162-181. White discourse is a discourse that functions to support white supremacy. Based on an ethnographic study in a U.S. elementary school, this article analyses how white teachers use appeals to discomfort as a form of white discourse to resist school-based racial equity work. It also examines how equity coaching — an approach to professional development rooted in critical race theory — can be used to augment the voices of teachers of colour, reframe narratives of discomfort, and disrupt the power of white discourse…. [Direct]
(2024). Who Cares about Black Students?: A Phenomenology Study of Teachers' Experience in Referring Black Students to Special Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Drexel University. The number of special education referrals continues to increase for African American students, which contributes to a disproportionate amount of African American students within the special education system. Teachers play a role in referring African American students to special education in urban schools. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study sought to explore teachers' experiences in the referral of African American students with the goal of understanding how their perspective, cultural awareness, and professional development influence their decision process. This inquiry was guided by the following research questions: 1. To what extent do teachers' perceptions contribute to the special education referral process for African American students in urban schools? 2. To what extent do the teachers' cultural competency influence the special education referral process for Black students in urban schools? 3. To what extent does the professional development of teachers… [Direct]
(2023). Exploring the Experiences of School Counselors as Anti-Racist, Social Justice Advocates. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Montclair State University. Professional school counseling ethical competencies, guidelines, and literature have encouraged school counselors to act as anti-racist, social justice advocates at the: a) individual level with students/families, b) school/community level, and c) public/legislative levels. The following research study proposal serves to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the experiences of school counselors as anti-racist advocates. Integrating critical race theory, multicultural counseling theory, and racial identity development theories, recent conceptual quantitative, and qualitative literature was reviewed to understand gaps in exploring the experiences of school counselors as anti-racist advocates. Using an in-depth phenomenological methodology, five self-identified school counselors were interviewed and their experiences analyzed to form a deep understanding of their individual experiences. Themes emerged at the individual and systemic levels: a) defining the problem, b) participants'… [Direct]
(2023). Exploring the Impact of a Targeted Support Program for Underrepresented Minority Students at a Predominantly White Regional Institution. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Eastern Kentucky University. This study involved examination of the impact of Freshman Academy, a targeted support program for students at a predominantly White regional institution, on the academic success of 1st-year underrepresented minority students, as measured by 1st-year grade point average and retention. Vincent Tinto's interactionalist theory and student departure models, Alexander Astin's theory of student involvement, and critical race theory formed the foundational theoretical framework for the study. Preexisting archival institutional data were employed in this quantitative study that used demographic analysis, linear regression, and multinomial logistic regression. The analyses included preentry characteristics and collegiate characteristics based on students' institutional experiences. Preentry covariates included race and ethnicity, gender, residency, Pell Grant eligibility, first-generation student status, parental education level, high school grade point average, and ACT composite score…. [Direct]
(2023). Staying on the Path: The Experiences of Latina Community College Students with Advising Redesigned for Guided Pathways. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Stanislaus. The purpose of the study is to understand how Latina community college students perceive and experience academic advising that has been redesigned within the guided pathways framework. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is used to frame the research study from a racialized lens and to problematize the race-neutral framework of guided pathways. I utilized a narrative inquiry approach to analyze the narratives of Latina community college students collected through interviews and a focus group. Emergent themes revealed the importance of advisors' authoritative advice and high expectations, as well as the salience of participants' intersecting social identities in shaping their transfer pathway and advising experiences. Participants discussed developing a personal connection with advisors who shared similar social identities with them, such as race, language, gender, and immigrant background. Advisors who shared similar social identities with participants redressed their racialized experiences…. [Direct]
(2023). An Investigation of Reading Achievement of Black Male Students in Title I Schools. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Virginia State University. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the reading assessment performance between Black male students and their same grade level counterparts. Assessment results and teacher perceptions were analyzed to reveal instructional supports to demonstrate reading achievement. The mean scores and pass rates based on race and gender were explored through fourth-grade end-of-the-year reading data. Six fourth-grade teachers in three Title I schools responded to the Common Beliefs Survey to explore their perceptions when educating diverse student populations. The results determined that the reading differences between Black fourth-grade males were observed in racial and gender groups. While these differences created an achievement gap, they also provided opportunities to address instructional needs. The performance and survey data findings were viewed through sociocultural, critical race theory, and culturally relevant pedagogy frameworks to determine instructional… [Direct]
(2023). Conquering Barriers: How Formerly Incarcerated Black Men Define and Achieve Success in Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Kansas State University. This grounded theory study applies both critical race theory and anti-deficit frameworks to recognize the systemic barriers that are in place to limit the success of formerly incarcerated Black students and challenges anti-deficit perspectives that fault those affected by oppressive systems rather than the systems themselves. This qualitative study used open-ended semi-structured interviews to learn how formerly incarcerated Black men defined and achieved postsecondary academic success. Participants described success in relation to goal achievement and discussed that internal motivation to reach their goals was one of two essential criteria for being academically successful. The other criterion for their success is having support to overcome unique challenges related to being formerly incarcerated. This study adds to the literature to build the knowledge and insight of this underserved student group and urges campuses to consider the educational human right in providing access and… [Direct]
(2023). Comparative Analysis of the Visual and Physical Landscapes of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly White Institutions. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Wyoming. This article examines the visual environment on the campuses of two Historically Black Colleges or Universities and two Predominantly White Institutions. I use photos and observations to identify common physical campus variables that may give some insight into the Historically Black Colleges or Universities' campus culture and the unique traits that make Historically Black Colleges or Universities different from Predominantly White Institutions. Qualitative Visual Environment Analysis is a pioneering methodology that was used to conduct the study. This methodology looks at the layout of an institution and makes interpretations about the campus culture from the visible physical images and structures. The institutions were then compared and analyzed using a Critical Race Theory lens. The themes that emerged fit into four major categories: Greek life imagery on campus, security and barriers on campus, access to student recreation, and areas on campus dedicated to racial/ethnic groups…. [Direct]
(2023). Portraits of Revolutionary Joy: Reflections from Female Critical Teachers of Color Who Taught during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Because the dominant narrative in the media around teachers is fixated on the burnout and unhappiness they are experiencing, this dissertation study explored the joy female Critical Teachers of Color experienced while teaching during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this qualitative study, I employed both autoethnography and portraitures as a way to elevate female Critical Teachers of Color voices. My position as a scholar-practitioner is rooted in pinayist pedagogy and my conceptual framework is titled revolutionary joy, which is grounded in a layering of critical race theory, pleasure principles, revolutionary mothering, and the eight pillars of joy. After collecting and analyzing the data, I constructed three portraits of Critical Teachers of Color to present a nuanced look at educators who have experienced teaching through a global pandemic. Then, I presented four emergent themes that reveal ways practical strategies of joy that other educators can employ in their own classrooms… [Direct]
(2023). Restorative Justice: A Case Study of an Urban High School. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Michigan-Flint. Here is a "qualitative case study" of an urban high school in Michigan to examine how school professionals perceive and apply "restorative justice" (RJ) practices. Through the lens of "critical theory" (CT) and "critical race theory," this study investigated these issues. The research questions driving this study are as follows: (1) What are these school professionals' perceptions of the use of RJ? and (2) How are RJ processes implemented in an urban high school in Michigan? First, a survey of 50 school professionals was undertaken to assess their perceived use of RJ. Next, two administrators, one social worker, and four teachers were interviewed to gather data regarding their perceptions of RJ and how it is implemented at this school. According to the findings of this study, RJ is primarily used to restore relationships, but it is also used as a response to inappropriate behavior. Restorative techniques are also more effective when combined… [Direct]
(2023). Surviving Campus Carry: A CRT Analysis of Faculty of Color at a Texas Public PWI. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, v16 n6 p684-695. Throughout history, guns have been used as tools for social control to instill terror within minoritized communities. Campus carry is a current gun law that now allows licensed concealed handgun holders to carry on public college campuses in 11 U.S. states, including Texas (National Conference of State Legislatures [NCSL], 2018). This qualitative study explored how Faculty of Color (FoC) made meaning of their work lives and coped with campus carry at a Texas public predominately White institution (PWI). Utilizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a framework, this study centralizes the voices of FoC to expose how the psychological benefits of feeling safe and not living in fear are attached to whiteness and protected by campus carry policies. Through individual interviews, findings revealed FoC were able to survive with campus carry through: (a) Behavioral Changes to Feel Safe, (b) Heightened Surveillance and Anxiety, and (c) Strength and Resiliency. These findings illuminate how PWIs… [Direct]