(2017). An Assessment of Factors That Influence the Academic Achievement of Black Male Physicians. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northeastern University. This study sought to understand Black male physicians' perceptions of factors that contributed to their academic success while in medical school and residency. The researcher gathered information by interviewing six Black doctors and collecting their demographic profile data. The study used a qualitative, narrative inquiry design. This research method allowed the researcher to learn from the participants through storytelling what influences they associated with achieving academic success. To understand better the stories and the impact of race for Black male students, a theory in the field of education called Critical Race Theory was utilized. In-depth interviews were conducted using a purposeful sample of six physicians employed at a major academic medical center in North Carolina. Each participant was asked 10 questions to determine his perspectives on factors that influenced his academic success. The narratives collected from the interviews provided a voice for the participants'… [Direct]
(2014). Disproportionality Fills in the Gaps: Connections between Achievement, Discipline and Special Education in the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Berkeley Review of Education, v5 n1 p53-87 Jan. The focus on the achievement gap has overshadowed ways in which school systems constrain student achievement through trends of racial disproportionality in areas such as school discipline, special education assignment, and juvenile justice. Using Critical Race Theory, we reframe these racial disparities as issues of institutionalized racism. First, we examine specific education policies and laws that contribute to racialized populations becoming part of the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Second, using a state-level case study in Colorado, we illustrate through critical race spatial analysis the increasing overrepresentation of students of color as they move through the School-to-Prison Pipeline from public schools to the juvenile justice system. Finally, we discuss suggestions for improving racial equity and reducing the flow of the School-to-Prison Pipeline…. [PDF]
(2014). Sharpening the Lens of Culturally Responsive Science Teaching: A Call for Liberatory Education for Oppressed Student Groups. Cultural Studies of Science Education, v9 n4 p1015-1024 Dec. Wallace and Brand's framing of culturally responsive science teaching through the lens of critical race theory honors the role of social justice in science education. In this article, I extend the discussion through reflections on the particular learning needs of students from oppressed cultural groups, specifically African Americans. Understanding the political nature of education, I explore the importance of transforming science education so that it has the capacity to provide African American students with tools for their own liberation. I discuss Wallace and Brand's research findings in relation to the goal of liberatory education, and offer ideas for how science educators might push forward this agenda as they strive for culturally responsive teaching with oppressed student groups…. [Direct]
(2014). Latinas/os in Community College Developmental Education: Increasing Moments of Academic and Interpersonal Validation. American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education This qualitative study examines the experiences of Latinas/os in community college English and math developmental education courses. Critical race theory in education and the theory of validation serve as guiding frameworks. The authors find that institutional agents provide academic validation by emphasizing high expectations, focusing on social identities, and improving academic skills. The authors conclude by conceptualizing a critical race validating pedagogy to implement among students who place in community college developmental education courses. [This Scholarly Paper was commissioned for the 9th Annual Conference of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, 2014. Appendix A, "Levels and Descriptors of Developmental Education Math and English Courses at Case Study Site" is not included in the ERIC version of this report.]… [PDF]
(2021). A Tale of Two Logics: School Discipline and Racial Disparities in a "Mostly White" Middle School. American Journal of Education, v127 n2 p163-192 Feb. In this article, I use ethnographic data to theorize about the causes of Black-White racial disparities in discipline at a "mostly White" middle school. Using critical race and institutional theories, I identify two racial discipline logics: criminalized sequestering and racial exemption. These logics differently governed how school leaders and teachers administered discipline among Black and White students and created a dual system that generated disparate outcomes. Overall, my analysis aids in understanding the organizational processes that produce Black-White racial discipline disparities, introduces new theoretical concepts for future research, and brings to the fore largely unexamined punitive, in-school discipline practices…. [Direct]
(2012). Examining the African American K-12 Public Superintendency from a Critical Race Theory Perspective: Counter-Stories about Hiring and Retention Practices. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northern Illinois University. For the last decade, research has shown concern about the pool of African American candidates for the superintendency. Nationally, African American candidates make up two percent of superintendents and fourteen percent of the teaching force, the pool from which superintendents are traditionally chosen. Increasing demands to meet the needs of culturally diverse students is a reality of the 21st century school administrator. As a result, the underrepresentation of African Americans in administrative leadership is problematic. This dissertation describes the experiences of five African American superintendents specific to career paths and navigation of the job search process. It identifies the factors that help or hinder African American superintendents in maintaining their positions. Additionally, it explores Du Bois's concept of double consciousness through participant counter-stories. A critical race theory framework was used to explore the relationship among race, racism, and… [Direct]
(2013). Trayvon Martin and the Curriculum of Tragedy: Critical Race Lessons for Education. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v16 n4 p587-602. In what ways do the tragedies centered on the lives of black youth, particularly black male youth, inform teachers, education policymakers, and teacher educators about what knowledge is most worth knowing? In this counter/story, we will examine the details of the life and death of Trayvon Martin. From these details, we will extract and interpret a curriculum of tragedy that draws from Derrick Bell's particular contributions to critical race theory (CRT) applies its central tenets. This article will conclude with lesson for black education for teachers, education policymakers and teacher educators…. [Direct]
(2013). Examining the Cultural Validity of a College Student Engagement Survey for Latinos. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, v12 n2 p153-173 Apr. Using critical race theory and quantitative criticalist stance, this study examines the construct validity of an engagement survey, "Student Experiences in the Research University" (SERU) for Latino college students through exploratory factor analysis. Results support the principal seven-factor SERU model. However subfactors exhibited differential structure patterns suggesting sense of agency, initiative-taking, self-competency, and self-efficacy as a means of reflecting potential cultural nuances relative to Latinos. Implications highlight sociocultural values and perspectives to understand engagement based on Latino students' unique college experiences and meaning making. (Contains 1 table.)… [Direct]
(2020). Equity-Minded Teacher Preparation in the California Community College. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, St. John's University (New York). California Community Colleges (CCC) is the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the United States. It serves 2.1 million students, 54% of whom are from historically racially marginalized communities in the United States (California Community College Chancellor's Offices, 2020). As with all higher education settings in this country, such diversity results in large racial disparities in classroom outcomes. While the classroom remains the primary point of contact for students, CCC instruction is vastly under-researched, with existing research tending to focus on issues outside the classroom (Zapata, 2019). In an effort to identify an effective method to support the elimination of racial disparities in classroom outcomes, this study utilized a critical race theory (CRT) lens (Ledesma & Calderon, 2015) to implement a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design to examine teacher preparation in a program of professional development, the Equity-Minded Teaching and… [Direct]
(2012). Autoethnography, a Chicana's Methodological Research Tool: The Role of Storytelling for Those Who Have No Choice but to Do Critical Race Theory. Equity & Excellence in Education, v45 n2 p334-348. This article investigates the role of autoethnographic research as the methodological tool of choice for a Chicana who positions herself along the liminal perspective. I posit that "testimonios", autobiographical educational experiences, must be used as valid ethnographic research to contribute to existing knowledge around issues of educational equity. Producing autoethnographic research acknowledges and validates my Chicana presence as well as draws attention to my marginal position inside dominant structures of education. Autoethnography and critical race theory are the manners in which I think about the world and the ways I have chosen to engage in educational research. My work is derived from personal experience in Los Angeles urban schools and later in elite institutions of higher education. These distinct locations present a unique opportunity to problematize the internalized forms of class and racial structures that permeate educational institutions. Grounded in my… [Direct]
(2023). Unraveling Teacher Implicit Biases: The Role of Student Identities in Patterns of Stereotype Activation for Black and White Teachers. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Ohio State University. Racial disproportions in discipline within the U.S. public school system have been documented since the 1970s and continue to grow despite decades of research and intervention. A solid base of research ruling out individual student- and family-level factors as main causes of the racial disproportions has amassed, however, deficit narratives, stereotypes, and biases about students and families of color continue to be documented throughout the literature. Likewise, interventions directing change toward student and family behaviors and claiming to be "race neutral" by applying the same behavioral expectations and discipline decisions across all students, continue to fail at reducing disproportionate discipline outcomes for students from marginalized groups. A large portion of the literature about teachers' perceptions of students also does not accurately account for the intersectional nature of students' multidimensional identities. Further, many studies fail to use analysis… [Direct]
(2017). (Un)Expected Scholars: Counter-Narratives from Two (Boys) Men of Color across the Educational Pipeline. Equity & Excellence in Education, v50 n1 p108-120. There has been an upsurge of attention on the achievements and struggles of boys and men of color in the U.S. The recent flood of attention to police-involved shootings of African Americans and other people of color only exacerbate the need for a focus on this particular population. The White House announcement of "My Brother's Keeper" in 2014 aims to recognize and respond to the crisis facing boys and men of color. In addition, the work of various scholars has continued not only to acknowledge the crisis, but also advocate, push, and enact policies and practices relevant to boys and men of color. Empirical research has made clear the disparities in academic engagement and achievement, disciplinary practices, and the overall student experience. Less common, however, are the voices of students who once attended those schools, grew up in challenging environments, yet went on to become academically accomplished. The purpose of this article is to provide… [Direct]
(2018). The Scheme Game: How DACA Recipients Navigate Barriers to Higher Education. Educational Studies: Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, v54 n6 p609-628. College-bound recipients of DACA–a 2012 US administrative policy officially titled Consideration for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals–face a series of administrative and financial barriers in pursuing postsecondary education. These barriers often include a complicated process for in-state tuition consideration, as well as exclusion from the majority of educational subsidies. This research sheds new light on DACA students' own understanding of their financial exclusions and the often ingenious methods they use to finance higher education. The research employs critical race theory/LatCrit frameworks to examine the structural systems of exclusion within educational policies and the corresponding measures taken by DACA recipient students in Ohio to overcome them. Participants' "testimonios" highlight their own resilience in the face of multiple obstacles, dispel notions of meritocracy in higher education, and educate institutional agents about funding inequities in an… [Direct]
(2018). "Having the Right Info": College Readiness as College Knowledge among Minoritized Students in an Urban Education Setting. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Southern California. This qualitative study applied a critical race theory lens to understand minoritized students' college readiness experiences at a highly selective research university to inform K-12 and higher education practice. The purpose of this study was to privilege oppressed voices in highlighting specific ways the college readiness gap can be closed for minoritized students, moving toward equity in higher education attainment and completion. The research questions involve understanding these students' college readiness and how they informed their college experiences. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews developed with a critical race lens to encourage counter-storytelling among the participants. Findings indicate participants tend to define college readiness around college knowledge, rather than more traditional notions of remediation. Additionally, even when the women came to college as college-ready by these traditional notions, they often did not feel fully college-ready…. [Direct]
(2018). "It's Not a Choice": A Critical Analysis of Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring Practices in the Community College from the Perspective of Faculty of Color. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, San Diego State University. At the community college, diversity is an overarching institutional goal, yet it remains elusive, especially in the full-time faculty ranks. This dissertation explored the individual and systemic barriers to hiring faculty of color. A phenomenological approach was used to examine the community college full-time faculty search process from the perception and meaning-making of 10 full-time faculty of color who actively advocate for hiring faculty of color. The participants represented five community college districts throughout California. This study utilized grassroots leadership and critical race theory as frameworks. An analysis of the participants' interviews identified emergent themes around their experiences as racialized individuals in a historical and contemporary context, being faculty of color at their institutions, challenging and encountering color-blind ideology, and enacting agency as faculty of color grassroots leaders. The findings illuminate why it is important to… [Direct]