(2022). A Narrative Self-Study: The Intersection of Anti-Racism, Whiteness, and the Institutionalization of Ethnic Studies in K-12 Education. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota. In November 2020, the school board governing Patinmay Public Schools (PPS) passed a policy change requiring ethnic studies coursework to graduate. For several years, numerous people have worked to make ethnic studies a possibility for all students. My story with ethnic studies in PPS, however, began more recently in August 2020. Utilizing methods from narrative inquiry and self-study, I examined opportunities and challenges encountered during the early stages of implementing the new ethnic studies graduation requirement. Desiring to be a co-conspirator (Love, 2019), it was critical for me to reflect on ways in which my identity as a white woman impacted my work implementing ethnic studies as a graduation requirement. By conducting a self-study, I hoped to grow in my own practice, with the ultimate goal of improving ethnic studies programming for students and teachers in Patinmay Public Schools. For this self-study, narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) was utilized to… [Direct]
(2017). An Examination of the Relationships between Self-Efficacy, Course Task Value, and Demographic Factors of Remedial Reading Students at Community Colleges. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of West Georgia. Many students are being identified as needing remedial reading as they seek a postsecondary education. Most universities are not offering remedial coursework and thus leaving community colleges that offer remedial reading coursework as the only option for underprepared students. The goal of remedial reading instruction is to teach new literacy strategies to assist struggling students with college course demands. The purpose of this study was to examine self-efficacy and course task value of remedial reading students and non-remedial reading community college students in addition to how self-efficacy and course task value varies demographically for remedial reading and non-remedial reading community college students. A survey was developed using Critical Race Theory and Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory as a theoretical foundation. Survey data was provided by 76 remedial reading and non-remedial reading students at a community college located in the southeastern United States. Results of… [Direct]
(2017). Ostracized Insiders: Exploring the Experiences of Black Gay Men in Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternities. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas A&M University. Black Greek letter fraternities were created for the social and academic support of Black male undergraduates. Numerous studies have proposed the many benefits associated with membership in these fraternal organizations; however, these benefits are undermined regarding Black Greek letter fraternities' treatment of Black gay students, even those who are members of said fraternities. Through an epistemological lens of both critical race theory and queer theory, this case study seeks to explore the experiences of Black Greek gay men (BGGM) in their fraternities. Specifically, the inquiry seeks to explore BGGM's experiences in their fraternity and how they make meaning of their sexual and racial identities based on their interactions within the fraternal context. The purpose of this case study is to progress these organizations to a culture of empathy and acceptance for non-heterosexual students. Through snowball sampling five Black Greek gay men were recruited and case study methodology… [Direct]
(2017). Full Disclosure: Examining the Experience of Male Faculty of Color at a Predominately White Institution. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Rowan University. This study explores the lived experiences of male faculty of color (African American and Latino American) at Upstate University, a predominately White, private, liberal arts institution (PWI). To gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of male faculty of color, a group that has traditionally been underrepresented and marginalized in academia, the conceptual framework for this study will be guided by Gloria Ladson-Billings' (1995) Critical Race Theory (CRT). Specifically, the component of counter-storytelling was incorporated into the study. A qualitative phenomenological study was designed to dig deep into the research while constantly bracketing to capture the reality or true lived experiences of the participants (Collins, 2000; Creswell, 2007; Van Manen, 1990). Interviews were conducted with 15 full-time tenured (associate and full professor) faculty in Phase I and Phase II, via focus groups and individual interviews that responded to a questionnaire about their lived… [Direct]
(2019). College Motivation and Preparation of Culturally Engaged Native American Youth. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of California, San Diego. Access to higher education can help tribal communities maintain political sovereignty, protect traditional knowledge and languages, and help close economic and social gaps (Adelman, et al., 2013, Brayboy, et al., 2012). Statistics indicate that too few Native Americans participate in post-secondary institutions and considerable research has gone into exploring this challenge (Barnhardt, 1994, Bosse, et al., 2011, Guillory, et al., 2008, Lee, et al., 2010, Pavel, 1999). Native American communities have implemented strategies to support their students; including academic support, traditional teachings and providing safe spaces with positive role models during non-school hours. Although programs vary in primary purpose for working with youth, they are commonly grounded in a cultural enrichment approach that honors Native American knowledge, tradition, history, and pedagogy. Using a combination of Brayboy's (2006) Tribal Critical Race Theory and Huffman's (2001) Transculturation Theory,… [Direct]
(2022). "I Want to Be a Better Person and a Better Teacher": Exploring the Constructs of Race and Ability in a Music Educator Collaborative Teacher Study Group. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Michigan State University. The way teachers engage with dis/ability and race in their classrooms links to their underlying belief systems (Heroux, 2013; Ryan, 2020). Unfortunately, substantial evidence connects teacher beliefs and perceptions to the reification of hegemonic norms, which upholds barriers for students in educational settings (Annamma, 2015b; Heroux, 2013; Ryan, 2020). The purpose of this study was to examine a music educator collaborative teacher study group (CTSG) focused on exploring and unpacking narratives of race and dis/ability in music education. Research questions were: (1) How do teachers conceptualize issues of race and ability in both their belief systems and stated classroom practices?; (2) How, if at all, did participants' beliefs about race and ability change as a result of participating in the CTSG?; and (3) What conditions facilitated changes in mindset and behavior for participants? I designed and completed a descriptive, collective case study (Stake, 1995; Yin 2018) that… [Direct]
(2022). The Experiences of Women Students of Color Enrolled in Undergraduate Architecture Programs in the US. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Hartford. Over the last 30 years, the architecture academy and profession have endeavored to increase diversity within its ranks. Conversely, these intentions have yet to be realized, as the field of architecture remains one of the least inclusive of all the STEM disciplines. Many of the undergraduate degree programs in the US, unknowingly or unintentionally, perpetuate White, male-dominant curricula. Recently, departments of architecture have been successful in increasing the number of students of color admitted into undergraduate degree programs, however, ongoing attrition and the lack of degree completion continue to limit diversity in the profession. The conceptual framework for the study applied critical race theory as defined by Crenshaw (1998) and Black Feminist thought presented by Collins (1990), and was adapted from Payne and Barbera (2013) as a lens through which to understand intersectionality. This study utilized a mixed methods convergent investigation, with a… [Direct]
(2013). When Claiming to Teach for Social Justice Is Not Enough: Majoritarian Stories of Race, Difference, and Meritocracy. Berkeley Review of Education, v4 n1 p97-122 Jan. To understand how dominant messages about race and effective pedagogy impact teacher beliefs and practice, this study employs critical race theory (CRT) in a case study analysis of Rebecca Rosenberg, a mid-career entrant into the teaching profession who was terminated from her first job before the end of her district's probationary period. Despite believing she was teaching for social justice, being prepared in a program oriented toward social justice, and being hired in a school with a comparable mission, Rebecca's beliefs and practices affirmed uncritical perspectives of the status quo regarding race, schooling, and social ascendance. This research underscores the substantial work to be done in preparing teachers to be reflective of the overarching cultural myths and majoritarian stories that may guide their practice…. [PDF]
(2013). Multicultural Leadership in School Counseling: An Autophenomenography of an African American School Counselor's Successes and Challenges. Research in the Schools, v20 n2 p41-56 Fall. This autophenomenography describes multicultural leadership in school counseling from the perspective of a female African American school counselor; who served as a lead counselor, researcher, and participant of a research study, while employed in a predominantly White-culture school district. The theoretical framework grounding this study was critical race theory (CRT). Methodological processes were implemented to collect and to analyze data, as suggested by Giorgi (1997) and Salda√±a (2013). The concern is that multicultural leadership in school counseling needs specificity and expansion, thereby making the rationale for this study meaningful. This article contributes to the lack of evidence in the literature regarding multicultural leadership experiences of an African American school counselor. The results are thematically reported as successes, challenges, and implications of leadership experiences in school counseling…. [Direct]
(2013). Racialized Readiness for College and Career: Toward an Equity-Grounded Social Science of Intervention Programming. Community College Review, v41 n4 p292-310 Oct. Social science methodologies of intervention programming for college and career readiness, particularly in regard to evaluation, must be situated within a larger context of racialized readiness for college and career. The policy context for this argument is a state-level evaluation of college and career readiness legislation in Illinois using David Conley's framework as one way to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programming offered by community colleges to high school students. Using critical race theory, I provide an example from an Illinois evaluation to show that when used as an evaluative rubric to assess college and career readiness intervention programming for high school students, Conley's framework has potential but needs to be augmented. Concluding are conceptual and practical recommendations for community college practitioners, evaluators, and policymakers…. [Direct]
(2013). Racism, College, and the Power of Words: Racial Microaggressions Reconsidered. American Educational Research Journal, v50 n3 p432-465 Jun. Based on interview data from a collective case study, this article uses current notions of racial microaggressions to explore this \subtle\ racism through the voices of six Latino/a students as they transition to a predominantly White university. Using critical race theory as a framework, I argue for greater understanding and increased use of the term \racial microaggressions\ within education generally and specifically with regard to higher education. I also, however, argue for specific changes in the existing framework of racial microaggressions, contending that the term microaggression is at times misused within academia and that this misuse has potentially negative consequences. Implications for discussions of racism writ large as well as for specific changes on college campuses are discussed. (Contains 1 figure and 6 notes.)… [Direct]
(2013). Revisiting "Grutter" and "Gratz" in the Wake of "Fisher": Looking Back to Move Forward. Equity & Excellence in Education, v46 n2 p220-235. This article revisits the University of Michigan's 2003 affirmative action cases, "Grutter v. Bollinger" and "Gratz v. Bollinger." Through the aid of critical textual analysis and critical race theory, the author looks back at the predominant narratives that framed the challenge to, and defense of, race-conscious affirmative action policy in the University of Michigan cases. In the wake of "Fisher v. University of Texas Austin," the third affirmative action case to be heard before the United States Supreme Court within the last decade, the author suggests that revisiting "Grutter" and "Gratz" may be helpful to understand the evolution of arguments for and against affirmative action. (Contains 6 notes and 6 tables.)… [Direct]
(2013). Race, Difference, Meritocracy, and English: Majoritarian Stories in the Education of Secondary Multilingual Learners. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v16 n3 p339-364. In this study, empirical and conceptual scholarship (approximately 100 studies) regarding the education of secondary multilingual learners and their teachers are analyzed through the lens of critical race theory (CRT). Specifically, four common majoritarian stories are identified that are both challenged and endorsed in the research literature: there is no story about race, difference is deficit, meritocracy is appropriate, and English-is-all-that-matters. This article discusses the literature, the four identified majoritarian stories and the specific ways they are both promoted and countered throughout the literature. The implications of these four majoritarian stories on research, policy, and practice are also addressed and the article concludes with a discussion about the value the identification of these stories offers for future research…. [Direct]
(2017). Reframing School Readiness: Case Studies of African-American and Latina Head Start Parents. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Missouri – Kansas City. The "school readiness gap" has been attributed to differences in family life, home-school connections, and social inequalities. The current school-parent partnership model fails to acknowledge the ways in which parent roles in education, and the home-school relations in which they are embedded, reflect broader social inequalities that affect students. This study utilized a narratological case study approach to examine the school readiness beliefs of African American and Latina Head Start parents. The guiding research question was: "How do parents conceptualize school readiness and transition practices?" Two sub-questions asked: (1) What specific behaviors do parents use to promote their children's school readiness? and (2) What factors do parents believe help to promote their children's transition to kindergarten? Parents' beliefs of school readiness were examined utilizing a theoretical framework informed by Yosso's (2005) model of community cultural wealth,… [Direct]
(2009). Critical Race Theory and the Cultural Competence Dilemma in Social Work Education. Journal of Social Work Education, v45 n2 p245-261 Spr-Sum. Cultural competence is a fundamental tenet of social work education. Although cultural competence with diverse populations historically referred to individuals and groups from non-White racial origins, the term has evolved to encompass differences pertaining to sexuality, religion, ability, and others. Critics charge that the cultural competence model is largely ineffective and that its tendency to equalize oppressions under a \multicultural umbrella\ unintentionally promotes a color-blind mentality that eclipses the significance of institutionalized racism. In this article we argue that critical race theory (CRT) can be used to address some of these noted problems with the cultural competence model. We define the major tenets of CRT and analyze its benefits and limitations for social work pedagogy around race, racism, and other oppressions…. [Direct]