(2019). Cultural and Cognitive Autonomy: Teacher Positioning and Motivational Practices for Emergent Bilingual Students. Elementary School Journal, v120 n1 p32-60 Sep. This study examined 10 urban middle school teachers' practices to motivate their emergent bilingual students (or English-language learners) and the ways in which their practices were associated with their positioning of their students in reading intervention classrooms. Our findings showed that teacher positioning that afforded or constrained their own and their students' various thoughts and behaviors was associated with the teachers' various practices to support emergent bilingual students' autonomy. The teachers' positioning of themselves and their students as cultural beings, by rejecting dominant narratives, was associated with their support of autonomy on cognitive and managerial levels and was frequently combined with autonomy support on cultural levels. By considering critical race theory and achievement motivation theory, our findings suggest the need to pay critical attention to teachers' positioning in sociocultural and political contexts to better support their practices… [Direct]
(2019). 'I Felt Dead': Applying a Racial Microaggressions Framework to Black Students' Experiences of Black History Month and Black History. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v22 n1 p110-129. This paper uses a Critical Race Theory perspective to explain the everyday racisms — racial microaggressions — directed towards students of African and Caribbean descent during a non-statutory Black History unit, at an English secondary school. Applying a racial microaggressions framework to ethnographic data, this paper finds that experiences of studying Black History by students of African and Caribbean descent are dominated by various types of racial microaggressions including: micro-invalidation, micro-insults and micro-assaults. These experiences are symptomatic of wider racist structures and processes within the National Curriculum for History, based upon the ideology of white supremacy. This paper concludes that the racial microaggressions framework allows for useful ways of thinking about the function and purpose of Black History Month and Black History in schools, and its opportunities for exposing wider institutional and ideological underpinnings that legitimate deficit… [Direct]
(2023). Exploring the Lived Experiences of Black Faculty from Select Community Colleges within the North Carolina Community College System. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Fayetteville State University. In October 2022, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) dashboard reported 5,266 full-time White faculty and 714 Black faculty. Only 10% of full-time curriculum instructors were Black, whereas 82% were White (Admin, 2019). Since Black faculty are underrepresented, their voices are often unheard. This qualitative research described the lived experiences of Black faculty at select North Carolina community colleges. The study examined the narratives of thirteen currently employed and retired Black community college faculty members using interpretive phenomenology. Critical Race Theory in Education (CRTE) was used as the lens to code and analyze data, revealing 10 themes: (a) recognition of expertise by others; (b) paternalistic and siloed mindsets; (c) being a role model; (d) responsive to student and faculty needs; (e) access to educational trainings; (f) work is priority; (g) marginalized yet resilient; (h) implementing faculty-specific investment programs; (i) having an… [Direct]
(2019). Peer Support and STEM Success for One African American Female Engineer. Journal of Negro Education, v88 n2 p181-193 Spr. This research used counter-storytelling, a critical race theory methodology, to chronicle the lived experiences of one African American female PhD engineer as she recounted her undergraduate, master's, and doctoral STEM experiences at three postsecondary institutions. Using interviews and narrative to capture her first-hand perspective as a woman engineer of color, peer support was revealed as a dominant factor in her attainment of a PhD in engineering. The two counter-stories presented are related to positive and negative peer support in STEM. These narratives serve as valid evidence for one woman's experiences in STEM and emphasize the role of race and racism on peer networks and STEM success. Though showing this one case, the findings have implications for how higher education institutions can provide structures where supportive peer networks can emerge to support women of color and students of color in STEM…. [Direct]
(2019). "We Had Support from Our Brothers": A Critical Race Counter-Narrative Inquiry into Second-Generation Black Caribbean Male Youth Responses to Discriminatory Work Pathways. Journal of Education and Work, v32 n4 p377-392. Drawing upon interview narratives and analysis based on Critical Race Theory, this manuscript uses a qualitative phenomenological approach to oppose one-dimensional perspectives concerning the social, educational and occupational careers of Black men who are stereotyped as lazy, criminal, dangerous and uncivil. This manuscript examines the counter-narratives of 10 second-generation Caribbean Black Male Youth (CBMY) between the ages of 18-27 currently employed in precarious positions in the City of Toronto. Drawing upon material from one-on-one interviews with the participants, this paper critically examines the lived experiences of CBMY as expressed through their own voices. While the participants offer diverse perspectives on the challenging high school-to-work transition, a common thread of resistance and brotherhood is revealed through the repeating themes of solidarity, compassion, respect, trust and mutual encouragement in the pursuit of full-time employment and a quality life…. [Direct]
(2019). Diversity's Twilight Zone: How Affirmative Action in Education Equals 'Discrimination' in the Colorblind Era. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v22 n6 p821-835. Diversity is a ubiquitous concept in Education. Our contemporary racial discourse has been taken over by diversity talk. That is, to talk about race in the colorblind era in the contexts of school admissions or educational policy is to do so through the language of diversity. However, the hegemonic ascendancy of diversity has been dependent on the demise of affirmative action policies. This inverse relationship is not coincidental. Utilizing Critical Race Theory's methodology of constructing counter stories, this paper traces the history of diversity from the Supreme Court. By locating the ontological being of diversity from the perspective of the Supreme Court, the author establishes a historical narrative that shows the backward and bifurcated approach of how affirmative action equals racial discrimination in the colorblind era. As a result of this backward approach, diversity talk is widely accepted while affirmative action policies in education have been effectively defeated…. [Direct]
(2019). Race, Response to Intervention, and Reading Research. Journal of Literacy Research, v51 n4 p394-419 Dec. In this critique, race is centralized to draw attention to the role it plays in the complex evolution of response to intervention, past and present. I use a critical race theory analytical lens to focus on how the dominant narrative serves as a framework within institutional and political structures in support of the approach. A brief overview of anti-discrimination laws and policies is followed by several historical narratives that are used to convey the intersecting nature of early reading and special education research. The body of research is employed to articulate the goals and purpose of the intervention, sans a clear commitment to addressing racial disproportionality. This critique particularly exposes how response to intervention has neither improved reading achievement nor curtailed racial disproportionality, and emphasizes that reading research is complicit in the reproduction of racial inequality in education. I conclude with a call to action…. [Direct]
(2018). Hablando de la herida: Honoring Spanish-Speaking Parents' Experiences Obtaining School-Based Speech and Language Services for Their Children. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Loyola Marymount University. This study examines the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latino/a parents in their attempts to obtain school-based speech and language services for their children; the impact of these experiences on parents; and parent perspectives on how school-based speech-language pathologists can co-create collaborative relationships. Through a detailed analysis of a focus group and individual interviews of 31 Spanish-speaking parents of children in the READ! (Reaching Educational Achievement and Development) Literacy Enrichment Program at a university in Los Angeles, California, this study provided a space for parents to share their experiences and offer insights regarding what shaped their experiences. Through the theoretical lens of dis/ability critical race theory (DisCrit), Latino critical race theory (LatCrit), and Yosso's community cultural wealth model, parents' stories were collected, transcribed, and analyzed. Parents consistently expressed their hope for their children to have a better… [Direct]
(2018). The Role of the Principal in Building Latina/o Cultural Wealth in School. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Texas at San Antonio. The purpose of this study was to identify transformative practices and leadership attributes that contribute to high achievement among Latina/o students from the perspective of principals, teachers and parents at two inner city schools. This study followed the qualitative design method. Critical Race Theory and Latino Critical Race Theory provide the framework for the analysis of findings. The primary source of data came from principal interviews and teacher and parent interview data was used to broaden and confirm findings for each of the two case studies. The qualitative data collected from the interviews were analyzed using a within-case analysis and a cross-case analysis to identify themes. The within-case analysis was utilized to identify themes within each case study and the cross-case analysis was used to identify patterns across the two case studies. In examining the case studies of two schools, there were four major themes that emerged: High Expectations… [Direct]
(2013). Faculty Perceptions of High-Achieving Male Collegians: A Critical Race Theory Analysis. Journal of College Student Development, v54 n5 p453-465 Sep-Oct. Critical race theory was employed as an interpretive framework to explore faculty perceptions of the academic accomplishments of high-achieving Black and White male collegians. Using photo elicitation methodology, faculty participants responded to a randomly assigned photograph of and vignette about either a Black or White male student. While most faculty members were supportive of the academic achievements of both Black and White male collegians, some subscribed to dominant racial ideologies such as colorblindness and racial coding. These findings have implications for faculty, student affairs professionals, and others who frequently interact with college students and are committed to creating more equitable educational environment…. [Direct]
(2023). Perceptions of K-12 Educators of Color on Ethnic Studies Curriculum and Teaching in Urban Public Schools. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Walden University. Retention of educators of color (EOC) is becoming a focal point in K-12 education because of the increasing demographic of students of color in K-12 urban public schools; however, a shortage of EOC exists in these schools in the United States due in part to disproportionate attrition rates for EOC compared to White educators. Little is known about the role curriculum may play in retaining EOC in K-12, urban public schools. The purpose of this qualitative critical narrative inquiry study was to explore how ethnic studies curriculum influences how EOC who teach ethnic studies perceive the teaching profession in K-12, urban public schools. Critical race theory was the conceptual framework that guided this study. The three research questions examined how creating and teaching ethnic studies curriculum contributes to EOC's experiences in the teaching profession and the role ethnic studies curriculum plays in the desire of ethnic studies EOC to stay in their current role and district. The… [Direct]
(2013). The Story of Schooling: Critical Race Theory and the Educational Racial Contract. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, v34 n4 p599-610. This article is an engagement of methodology as an ideologico-racial practice through Critical Race Theory's practice of storytelling. It is a conceptual extension of this practice as explained through Charles Mills' use of the "racial contract (RC) as methodology" in order to explain the Herrenvolk Education–one standard for Whites, another for students of color–that is in place in the USA. At its most general, the article introduces the full offerings of Mills' RC methodology for a study of educational research. Once deployed, the RC as methodology unveils a school system's foundation as deeply racial rather than universal or race-neutral…. [Direct]
(2023). Infrastructural Injustices in Community-Driven Afterschool STEAM. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, v60 n8 p1853-1878 Oct. This article offers a qualitative analysis of infrastructural in/justice in a community-partnered design intervention focused on developing high-tech low-cost Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) projects. We examined the kinds of infrastructural injustices that were present in three afterschool programs and how it shaped STEAM education designs and opportunities for learning with technology to take hold. Combining insights and methods from studies of science and technology with Critical Race Theory, we developed the concept of infrastructural in/justice to illuminate the challenges of organizing STEAM for justice. Infrastructural injustices were identified at the level of dominant narratives that shaped the ideas, resources, and values that undergirded programming and pedagogical practices. We found that community educators were central to creating more just STEAM infrastructures. They drew out unjust infrastructural narratives, created counternarratives that… [Direct]
(2020). Early Childhood Educator Knowledge: An Exploratory Study Regarding Giftedness and Students of Color. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Denver. The purpose of this study was to examine general early childhood educator knowledge and perceptions of curricula relevant for early childhood gifted students of color. The research questions that guided the study were the following: How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede academic success for gifted students of color? How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede social emotional learning for gifted students of color? What are the perspectives of educators regarding inclusive practices including Critical Race Theory, within a preschool through second grade gifted curricula? In reviewing the literature and national data concerning representation of identified gifted students of color; two aspects were apparent: the lack of general early childhood educator's voices explaining what he or she understands about gifted students of color and the lack of culturally responsive pedagogical professional learning opportunities for general early… [Direct]
(2023). Racism and Bias: Their Role in Maintaining Racial Disparities in PreK-12 Education. APA BEA Racial Disparities Task Force. American Psychological Association The purpose of this APA BEA Racial Disparities Task Force report is to examine the role of racism and bias on educational opportunity and achievement disparities experienced by children. Specifically, we seek to link racism explicitly to opportunity gaps by examining how racism operates on multiple levels. Using critical race theory, intersectionality, and structural determinants of learning, we identify how racism works at the systemic, institutional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal levels to impact students' access to learning opportunities, school experiences, and educational outcomes. Racism compromises racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) students' ability to thrive, be healthy, and be on track for educational success. Some of these achievement gaps are due to historical legacies of racism and current inequities that limit households' economic viability and stability among families of color, which then impacts students' access to safe and adequate housing, food, and health care,… [PDF]