(2018). Strength Within: Addressing Structural Opportunity Gaps for Men of Color at 4-Year Universities through a Strengths-Based Approach. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Long Beach. The enrollment, retention, and graduation rates for African American, Latino, Native American, and segments of Asian and Pacific Islander men in higher education are disproportionately lower than women from all racial groups and White men. A significant body of research substantiates the concern by institutions on the opportunity gap for men of color in higher education. Despite the research and concerted efforts by institutions, this opportunity gap continues to affect the educational and overall college experience of men of color. Through qualitative interviews employing a photo elicitation protocol and a conceptual framework based on validation theory, Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Anti-Deficit Perspectives, this study examines the social, cultural, and institutional factors that shape this population's experience in higher education. This research will examine the strengths and assets that men of color identify as supporting their success in college. This study will also examine… [Direct]
(2019). Show & Tell: Elementary Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Teaching in High-Poverty Schools. Multicultural Education, v26 n3-4 p27-37 Spr-Sum. A comprehensive body of literature has focused on White teachers working in high-poverty schools (Emdin, 2016; Ullucci, 2011) as well as White teachers working with students of color (Brown-Buchanan, 2015; Emdin, 2016; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Milner, 2010). However, limited studies have focused on how teacher candidates connect race and social class with respect to teaching in high-poverty schools and what support they need from teacher preparation programs to successfully teach in schools with both students who are living in poverty and students of color. In this article, the authors share findings from a study exploring how six elementary teacher candidates who completed clinical experiences in high-poverty elementary schools perceive students who attend these schools (Bertrand, 2017). Using semistructured interviews, visual data using "photovoice," and group "photovoice" discussion sessions, they examined the following research questions: (1) How do elementary… [PDF]
(2019). A Decade of Disproportionality: A State-Level Analysis of African American Students Enrolled in the Primary Disability Category of Speech or Language Impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v50 n2 p267-282 Apr. Purpose: This study aimed to determine if African American students were disproportionately represented between the years of 2004 and 2014 in the primary disability category of Speech or Language Impairment (S/LI) under the 2004 reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Method: S/LI enrollment data from the Office of Special Education Programs and general enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics were analyzed to compare the risk of primary S/LI category enrollment of African American students to that of all other students. Risk ratios with 99% confidence intervals were calculated for each state across the 10 years studied. Results: An average of 75% of states disproportionately represented African American students in the S/LI category each year; on average, 62% underrepresented African American students, and 14% overrepresented them. A post hoc analysis of the relationship between African American student representation and… [Direct]
(2013). Writing Critical Race Theory and Method: A Composite Counterstory on the Experiences of Black Teachers in New Orleans Post-Katrina. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v26 n10 p1238-1258. Using a critical race theory lens, the authors propose a way of writing race research using composite counterstories. Drawing on data from a yearlong study of school rebuilding in the time period immediately after Hurricane Katrina devastated the City of New Orleans, the authors examine the experiences of African-American educators in the school rebuilding efforts. Cook and Dixson look specifically at how composite counterstories speak back to racialized constructions of black educators that justified their post-Katrina displacement and usher in an era of school reform in which New Orleans is described as "ground zero" for the expansion of charter schools, the disempowerment of teachers' unions, and the re-organization of teacher preparation. Given the context of the research, the authors argue that researchers should consider how composite counterstories facilitate racial research and ensure the protection of research participants…. [Direct]
(2014). Learning to Write in Writing Centers: The Racial Experiences of Two Mexican Students. English in Texas, v44 n2 p34-39 Fall-Win. This article examines racist discourses and how they operate within writing centers. The data presented emerged from qualitative interviews that were conducted with two participants. In theorizing the data gathered from Mexican American students about their writing center experiences, the author applies a Critical Race Theory (CRT) and LatCrit lens to conceptualize how issues of race appear within writing centers. The article concludes with suggestions for anti-racist practices in writing centers and classrooms…. [PDF]
(2014). Interest Convergence or Divergence? A Critical Race Analysis of Asian Americans, Meritocracy, and Critical Mass in the Affirmative Action Debate. Journal of Higher Education, v85 n1 p36-64 Jan-Feb. We use the Critical Race Theory frameworks of interest convergence and divergence to critique the anti-affirmative action movement's co-option of Asian Americans. Past discussions of affirmative action and Asian Americans mainly concentrate on how Asian Americans are affected by affirmative action, whether positively or negatively. We demonstrate how Asian American collegiate experiences ought to affect public understanding of affirmative action itself by demonstrating the need for broader conceptualizations of meritocracy and critical mass…. [Direct]
(2015). "A Moving Target": A Critical Race Analysis of Latina/o Faculty Experiences, Perspectives, and Reflections on the Tenure and Promotion Process. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v28 n10 p1149-1168. This article examines how Latina/o professors perceive, experience, and reflect on the tenure and promotion process. Findings for this longitudinal study are drawn from a purposive sample of nine female and seven male, Latina/o tenure-track faculty participants. Using a Critical Race Theory, Latino Critical (LatCrit) Race Theory, and Chicana Feminist framework, this article documents fundamental inequities in the tenure and promotion policies and practices that affected the Latina/o faculty in this study. Using narrative data, educational biographies, in-depth semi-structured interviews, and unstructured ethnographic interviews, this study found four common themes: (1) tenure and promotion processes functioned as a "tool of fear," (2) the tenure and promotion process was like a "moving target," (3) tenure provided limited forms of respect but not full membership, and (4) Latina/o supervivencia enabled the professors to thrive despite unsupportive and sometimes… [Direct]
(2021). Critical Transformations through Community Service-Learning Programs for Students of Color at Predominantly White Institutions. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Massachusetts Boston. Service-learning has become deeply embedded in higher education, as both a co-curricular and curricular tool to achieve learning outcomes, promote civic engagement and promote diversity. Yet it has also struggled with the critique that service-learning, unintentionally, reinforces deficit thinking by promoting a dominant narrative centered on the White middle-class perspective. This narrative excludes the experience of students and faculty who reflect the demographics of the community served or who are simultaneously from the community and the institution. This qualitative study seeks to challenge the traditional narrative to understand the service experience of students of color from low-income backgrounds at predominantly White institutions. The counterstories presented here illustrate a broader perspective on the experiences and the impact of community engagement in higher education for those who do not identify as middle-class or White. Using a framework informed by theories of… [Direct]
(2021). Shades of Black: Black Collegiate Women and the Impact of Colorism in Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Colorism perpetuates the same variables that drive the principles of racism and has led to disparate treatment, lower self-esteem, and negative perceptions within communities of color for decades. Since Black women are considered second class citizens, behind both men and White women, it is vital to acknowledge that their experiences with racism, compounded by colorism, are most salient. The purpose of this qualitative research study is three-fold: (1) to explore colorism as a phenomenon while also investigating its impact on the higher education attainment of Black collegiate women, (2) to give these women a voice regarding their personal experiences with colorism; and (3) to generate culturally pertinent information that can be used to raise awareness, provide empowerment, and create social change regarding how we view colorism. To begin to answer the question of how Black women narrate their experiences with colorism in higher education at a predominantly White urban public state… [Direct]
(2021). "A Tale of Two Schools": A Counter-Narrative of the Black Male Experience of College Readiness in One High School. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Lewis and Clark College. This qualitative study uses an anti-deficit lens and examines counter-narratives that capture Black males' high school schooling experiences, which include messages and strategies that support post-secondary preparation and attainment for Black males. Centering Black males as the expert voice and learning from them directly through their narratives at one high school honors their perspective and insight as valid and valued expertise in surfacing how educators support and deliver post-secondary preparation, messaging, and opportunities while situating race, their lived experiences, and culturally relevant strategies at the center. District data revealed several high school experience gaps in racial achievement, student preparation, and college admissions, to varying degrees, with Black males in the lowest quadrant for academic preparation leading to college admissions. Voluntary inquiry teams worked to identify and eliminate instructional obstacles and barriers causing underserved… [Direct]
(2013). A Phenomenological Investigation of African American Counselor Education Students' Challenging Experiences. Counselor Education and Supervision, v52 n2 p122-136 Jun. This study explored 11 African American doctoral students' perceptions of challenging experiences in counselor education programs. The authors identified the following themes using critical race theory: feelings of isolation, peer disconnection, and faculty misunderstandings and disrespect. Implications for counselor education programs and policies are discussed…. [Direct]
(2017). Guilty as Charged? Principals' Perspectives on Disciplinary Practices and the Racial Discipline Gap. Educational Administration Quarterly, v53 n4 p519-555 Oct. Background: For decades, Black students have been more likely to be suspended than their White peers despite any evidence suggesting they are more likely to misbehave. This research builds on critical race theory and social justice leadership to explore and contextualize leadership practice as it relates to the racial discipline gap. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to understand how race and school context contribute to the ways principals enact discipline. Findings: Our study highlights the manner in which principals serve as key disciplinary decision makers, advocates, and intermediaries between districts, teachers, students, and families. Overall, some principals described enacting what could be called harsh punishment in the name of neutrality, consistency, and/or racial bias, while others described resisting institutional racism, challenging the status quo, and engaging in disciplinary approaches that address antecedents to misconduct and teach students about their… [Direct]
(2017). New Label No Progress: Institutional Racism and the Persistent Segregation of Romani Students in the Czech Republic. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v20 n5 p595-608. The over-representation of Romani children in special schools in the Czech Republic is well documented and widely condemned. In 2007 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) found the state guilty of discrimination against Romani children on the basis of disproportionate placement of children in remedial special schools. In 2015 high numbers of Romani children are still being misdiagnosed with special educational needs (SEN) and offered a limited and inappropriate education. This article explores the challenges which continue to hamper their successful inclusion in the Czech education system. Using critical race theory (CRT) as a lens to examine the Czech case, problems with the current policy trajectory are identified. The article shows that institutional racism persists in the Czech Republic, shaping attitudes and practices at all levels. Policymakers demonstrate little recognition of ingrained educational inequalities and Roma continue to be widely perceived as… [Direct]
(2017). Developing Transformative Space for Student Resistance: Latina/o Students' Interruption of Subtractive Schooling Practices. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, v11 n1 p91-105. Social reproduction scholars and the literature on critical race theory and student resistance contend that schools are not neutral institutions existing in a vacuum free of the political and social struggles for rights and resources (Delgado Bernal, 1998; Fine, 1991). Instead, schools can be institutions that reproduce dominant ideologies and oppressive hierarchies or arenas from which to challenge power and status-quo policies (Freire, 1970). Drawing from two years of participant observations at Hillcrest High School, this study explores how Latina/o students in collaboration with their teacher engage in transformational resistance to subtractive schooling. I document how co-leadership in the classroom between teacher and students supports the co-creation of a transformative space for critical reflection. Similar to activist groups creating spaces to cultivate youth political engagement, classrooms can be reconstructed to foster the development of students as agents of change. This… [Direct]
(2017). Black Women's and Girls' Persistence in the P-20 Mathematics Pipeline: Two Decades of Children, Youth, and Adult Education Research. Review of Research in Education, v41 n1 p203-227 Mar. Like other women and girls of color in the U.S. education system, Black women and girls negotiate and integrate multiple marginalized identities in mathematics. As such, this integrative review used critical race theory (CRT) and Black feminism as interpretive frames to explore factors that contribute to Black women's and girls' persistence in the mathematics pipeline and the role these factors play in shaping their academic outcomes. A synthesis of 62 research studies reveals that structural disruptions, community influences, and resilience strategies significantly influence Black women's and girls' persistence in mathematics, and that combined, these factors can culminate into a more robust mathematics identity for Black women and girls. A robust mathematics identity, in turn, is an aspect of self-actualization that is needed for persistence, engagement, and sustained success in the pursuit of a mathematics doctoral degree. New questions, paradigms, and ways of examining the… [Direct]