(2023). White Elementary Teachers and Learning to Teach Race in the Social Studies Classroom: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study. Whiteness and Education, v8 n2 p140-158. In this 6-year longitudinal interpretative case study, the researcher examined four white elementary teachers' beliefs and practices related to teaching race. Interview, observation, and classroom artefact data were collected from their teacher preparation program through their fifth year in the classroom. Using critical race theory and critical whiteness as the lens, the researcher found: (1) A division exists between tolerance- and equity-oriented teachers. (2) While two teachers had relatively fixed orientations, two teachers shifted their orientations over time; these shifts related to their school culture and their professional development opportunities. (3) The teachers were more likely to teach about race in schools where they had dedicated time for social studies. This study revealed the influence that teacher preparation and school context had on the white teachers' development in teaching about race. This study also drew connections between teacher preparation programs and… [Direct]
(2023). Missing the Mark: Assessing Dispositions and the Reification of Whiteness in Teacher Preparation. Educational Studies: Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, v59 n5-6 p475-503. In order to explore whether the Watermark‚Ñ¢ Educator Disposition Assessment (EDA) is an equitable assessment for all teacher candidates regardless of race, this study used a Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) methodological design to analyze a pilot implementation of the assessment representing 650 discreet disposition assessments undertaken in 24 designated courses in five distinct programs of educator preparation at a midsized Midwestern university. Chi-square analysis and descriptive statistics from fall 2019-spring 2020 archival data indicate a statistically significant association between the variable race and the average scores assigned to students in multiple EDA assessments, with marked disadvantages for Black teacher candidates. Through this analysis and a careful and critical review of language embedded in each rubric row, the authors argue that the Watermark‚Ñ¢ EDA advances and reifies a set of normative practices that align with dominant White, middle-class… [Direct]
(2023). Claiming Voice and Visibility for International East-Asian Kinesiology Students. Quest, v75 n4 p253-269. Confronting the distinctive challenges of international East Asian students is vital for the increasingly diverse United States higher education system. This study examines the experiences of six participants of East Asian descent during kinesiology doctoral programs at U.S. higher education institutions. The research design is qualitative inquiry rooted in Asian Critical Race Theory (AsianCrit). There were several subthemes emerged; (a) language barriers and/or proficiency, (b) cross-cultural dissonance, (c) multi-faceted challenges, (d) limited social relationships, and (e) extension of Asian identity as faculty. Findings are discussed in light of AsianCrit with a particular focus on marginalization–invisible presence and silenced voices, intersectionality–perpetual foreigners and unwelcome outsiders, lack of social and cultural capital, and counter stories. Frequently positioned as outsiders with minimal voice and visibility, their learning and success can be supported by… [Direct]
(2023). Still-Restrictive Equality in Shared School Governance: Black Parents' Engagement Experiences and the Persistence of White Supremacy in a Liberal Public School District. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v36 n4 p543-558. This paper draws from a critical race multicase study of Black parents' school engagement experiences in a liberal U.S. public school district, focusing here on 12 mothers and fathers who participated in Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) and/or African American parent groups. I apply Critical Race Theory, particularly Crenshaw's notions of restrictive and expansive views of antidiscrimination law, as a theoretical lens to evaluate the school district's vision of racial equality in school governance. My analysis indicates that regardless of inclusive practices that welcomed Black parents into parent groups, the district still had restrictive views of equality because Black parents' ideas and desires were only taken up if they converged with the interests of white parents, and school and district leaders. I offer the theorization of still-restrictive to point to a way white supremacy may still operate in liberal and inclusive-seeming spaces…. [Direct]
(2023). Local Voices: Counterstorytelling and Retention of Faculty of Color in Oregon's Community College System. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Portland State University. The Oregon community college system employs a full-time faculty workforce that is overwhelmingly White. This study aimed to research why the representation of faculty of color in the state's community colleges remains low by conducting interviews with faculty of color about their experiences at these public 2-year institutions using counterstorytelling as research methodology. Using critical race theory as a theoretical framework, this study collected and analyzed the counterstories of seven faculty of color in a variety of institutions and regions across one state about their experiences with institutional racism and how it impacts their persistence strategies and retention patterns. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta…… [Direct]
(2023). 'But You Don't "Look" Irish': Identity Constructions of Minority Ethnic Students as 'Non-Irish' and Deficient Learners at School in Ireland. International Studies in Sociology of Education, v32 n4 p826-855. Ireland's schooling population has significantly diversified in the last 15 years. Despite the growing body of research on migrant and minority ethnic students' experiences, we still know relatively little about their relationships with peers and teachers. This paper draws on data collected as part of a wider study, informed by critical race theory (CRT), about the higher education (HE) experiences of minoritised ethnic students, involving interviews with 25 students across seven HE institutions in Ireland. 11 had attended school in Ireland, and this paper examines their schooling experiences including their 1) identity battles in not being recognised as Irish, 2) experiences of racist bullying and inadequate responses of teachers, and 3) construction as 'deficient' learners, including regarding HE progression. From a CRT perspective, the findings are examined in the context of exclusionary constructions of Irishness, and the urgent need for anti-racist education in Ireland for… [Direct]
(2023). Centering the Lived Experiences of Rural Black Homeschool Families. Thresholds in Education, v46 n3 p399-419. Compared to all other options, homeschooling provides parents with the most control over their children's educational experiences. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in the U.S. homeschool population. Black families had the largest increase in home educators from 3.3% to 16.1% between April 2020 and October 2020. The emerging literature on Black home education has focused almost entirely on urban areas. This paper presents findings from a pilot study designed to begin to address the omission of rural setting representation in Black home education research literature. This qualitative study employed conceptual frameworks that value Black women's ways of knowing (e.g., Black Feminist Theory, Endarkened Feminist Epistemologies, and Critical Race Theory) to emphasize the role of participating mothers who represented a single-parent household or a household where the mother maintained primary responsibility for the home education of children…. [PDF]
(2021). Expanding the Narrative of the Black-White Gap in Education Research: Black English Learners as a Counterexample. Journal of Negro Education, v90 n1 p7-25 Win. Achievement gap studies examining race overwhelmingly reveal that White children and Asian children outperform Black children and Latino children, few studies have outcomes that show Black children outperforming their peers. Critical race theory frames this work, which examines the performance of English Learners (n = 198) in a large school district in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Using one-way analysis of variance and multiple regressions, data show that Black English Learners' mean scores are higher than their peers on both a state reading assessment and the Scholastic Reading Inventory. These findings serve as a counterexample in achievement gap research…. [Direct]
(2021). School Punishment and Education: Racial/Ethnic Disparities with Grade Retention and the Role of Urbanicity. Urban Education, v56 n2 p228-260 Feb. There are racial/ethnic disparities associated with school punishment practices and academic progress. In addition, research suggests that urban schools have stricter school punishment practices and higher grade retention rates. What remains unknown, however, is the relationship between race/ethnicity, school punishment practices, and retention rates across urban, rural, and suburban schools. Thus, this study draws from the Texas Education Agency's Public Education Information Management System and Critical Race Theory to investigate if there is link between school punishment practices and academic progress, as well as establishing if there are racial/ethnic disparities in urban, rural, and suburban contexts…. [Direct]
(2021). Respecting a Cultural Continuum of Black Male Pedagogy: Exploring the Life History of a Black Male Middle School Teacher. Urban Education, v56 n1 p32-60 Jan. Black male teachers tend to enact culturally relevant pedagogical practices that support the academic achievement, cultural competence, and critical consciousness of Black male students. Using critical race theory, culturally relevant pedagogy, and life history methodology, we explore the life history and work of a Black male middle school teacher to examine ways in which his historical, societal, institutional, and communal and personal experiences have shaped him to become a culturally relevant teacher and advocate for Black male students. In doing so, we provide implications and recommendations for preservice teacher education programs to retain and better support Black male middle school teachers…. [Direct]
(2021). The Elephant in the Classroom: Using YouTube Comments to Address the Essential but Unacknowledged Topic of Race. International Journal of Multicultural Education, v23 n1 p131-145. Drawing on critical race media theory, this praxis article describes how instructors can effectively introduce critical race literacy theory in a teacher education class using online videos. Ultimately, this study helps us to better understand how viewing YouTube videos and responding critically to YouTube user comments can help preservice teachers acknowledge and challenge their pre-existing beliefs related to teachers and students of color in a teacher education writing course. Data analysis reveals that preservice teachers' idealism for compassionate teaching is embedded in a superficial understanding of sociocultural differences and lacks an understanding of how race affects student learning…. [PDF]
(2021). The Beliefs about Race and Culture Operating in Our Discipline Strategies: A Commentary. Preventing School Failure, v65 n3 p216-222. The prevalence of racial disparities in discipline outcomes continues despite a prominence of new strategies and research. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) is shown to contribute to reductions in school suspension, expulsion, and other positive educational outcomes. Despite its promise for making school discipline more efficient and less exclusionary, PBIS in some schools struggles to address disproportionate patterns of exclusion and office referrals. This commentary offers the use of critical race theory framing as a way to understand how teachers' beliefs about race and culture operate within their personalized lives and transfer themselves within the schooling environment…. [Direct]
(2023). "Soulwork": The Critical Role of Black Women Leaders in the Development of Social Cohesion within Predominantly White Independent Schools. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania. Many Black women leaders operating within historically and predominantly White organizations, including independent schools, often lead cultural work with titles such as "DEI Director" or "Chief of Equity and Belonging." Although these programs are rooted in equity and social justice, the women combat perceptions of inferiority due to race and gender. As a result, Black women may remain stuck in leadership roles that deeply under-utilize their strengths and make them feel "othered." Black women leaders may often lack agency while their schools struggle to establish cohesion within the community, particularly over the last 3 years of unprecedented crises–COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, the national outcry against critical race theory. This qualitative and autoethnographic study examined cross-cultural and cross-racial relationships in predominantly White independent schools, particularly as community members engaged in conversations… [Direct]
(2022). HorCHATa: A Counterstory about A Mexican-Based Student Organization as a Counter-Space at a Predominantly White University. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, v16 n1 p22-52. This article utilizes critical race theory counterstorytelling to tell a story about °Poder Xicanx!, a Mexican-based student organization at a private, predominantly white university in the Northeast of the United States. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, "pla ¥ticas," and document analysis, I document the educational experiences of 20 Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx (MMAX) undergraduate students who participated in °Poder Xicanx!. Specifically, I argue that °Poder Xicanx! functions as a counter-space, which is a site or space where MMAX students can challenge stereotypes, deal with racism, and empower one another. Moreover, I also highlight the fact that °Poder Xicanx! allows for members to create a home away from home, sustain and practice their cultural ties, and collectively build critical consciousness…. [Direct]
(2022). Policy Solutions: Defying the Gravitational Pull of Education Politics. Phi Delta Kappan, v104 n1 p62-63 Sep. The biggest threat to an equitable and prosperous American society is not a particular educational policy, but the gravitational pull of politics, explains Jonathan Collins. Before educational policy can be developed and put into place, the politics that drive education must be acknowledged and addressed. Violence is erupting at school board meetings across the country over mask mandates, book bans, and critical race theory. Meanwhile, as has been the case throughout U.S. history, the political division and vitriol distract us from ensuring that our most vulnerable children are getting needed academic support. It is time, Collins says, for a politics of solutions that can defy the gravitational pull of politics that sidetrack leaders addressing the real problems students face…. [Direct]