(2022). I Teach_ U (Un)Learn: Centering Black Africana Vernacular English-Speaking Teachers' Lived Experiences Navigating Home and School Environments. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The purpose of this research was to gain understanding and awareness of the perspectives of Black teachers who were raised in Africana Vernacular English (AVE)-speaking households and how they used their upbringing to navigate home and school settings. The specific linguistic and cultural needs of AVE speakers are not being adequately accommodated in the nation's schools. Unfortunately, there is a widespread lack of awareness among teachers about the ways in which the racial, linguistic, and cultural identities of Black students influence their academic performance. This research involved analyzing Black AVE-speaking teachers' attitudes on the significance of their language to their identity and culture. To gain an understanding of how Black AVE-speaking teachers process their lived experiences of navigating home and school, I analyzed narratives presented by these teachers. Conducting one on-one interviews with participants and analyzing their personal narratives using a qualitative… [Direct]
(2022). Teachers in the Sea of Diversity. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Concordia University Chicago. The purpose of this study was to explore how general and special education teachers feel about educating students who come from different racial and cultural backgrounds than their own. The growing amount of cultural and racial diversity in the K-12 population has changed the dynamics of the classroom. Teachers often do not seem to be prepared for the reality of the new status quo. White teachers have moved from the comfortable atmosphere of teaching students who represent their own culture and background to a variety of students. As more non-White teachers join the profession, they too are faced with students who come from different races and cultures than their own. Minority students now make up most of the K-12 classroom and for years, there have been ongoing concerns about disruptive behaviors, discipline referrals, suspensions, expulsions, and achievement gaps. A basic qualitative study was used to discover how teachers in a specific charter school cluster in the state of Texas… [Direct]
(2022). Changing Racial Attitudes of Library Managers through a Short-Term Online Antiracism Training. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Union Institute. Librarianship as a profession in America is 88% white, according to the Diversity Counts survey conducted by the American Library Association in 2009 (ALA, 2012). The United States' White and not Hispanic/Latinx population is 60.7% according to 2017 Census estimates (United States Census Bureau). The fundamental unfairness of this power dynamic within my profession, one that prides itself on its values of open access to information and reducing barriers to opportunity, illustrates the structural power of racism. Those responsible for supervising employees and policy decisions within libraries have a vital opportunity to alter this racial disparity through an awareness of barriers faced by persons of color in our country and a determination to make structural change in how the library recruits and retains employees of color. To that end, I ask, does an online 4-week training on antiracism change the racial attitudes of library administrators responsible for supervisory and policy… [Direct]
(2022). An Examination of Parents' Lack of Engagement in the RTI Process and Its Impact on Disproportionate Representation of Black Boys in Special Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Howard University. Parental and family engagement are critical parts of a child's educational journey. This is especially true in the Response to Intervention (RTI) process whereby students receive academic, and behavior supports and interventions before referral to special education. An absence of parental input in the RTI process could lead to students being removed from a general education setting and being placed in a more restrictive or segregated classroom environment, unnecessary special education referrals, and inequitable disciplinary practices (Harry & Anderson, 1994). The purpose of the qualitative study was to understand how parents' perceived their engagement–or a lack thereof–in the RTI process and how it contributed to the disproportionality of Black boys in special education. This study engaged six parents of Black boys attending Title I charter schools in the mid-Atlantic region. Participants engaged in two semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and submitted documents to be… [Direct]
(2024). Preparing the Heritage Language Educator: A Needs Analysis of Advanced Placement Spanish Teachers. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Arizona State University. As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, Spanish teachers are increasingly responsible for incorporating heritage language (HL) research and practice into their curriculum design. However, many language teacher preparation programs in the country are not tailored to equip future HL educators, focusing instead on second language acquisition with limited offerings in HL pedagogy. This study conducts a needs analysis assessment by using survey data from 51 in-service teachers and conducting interviews with a subset of these teachers. Employing mixed-methods analysis, the data were examined through descriptive statistics and a grounded theory approach, framed within Latinx Critical Race Theory. Data analysis of survey responses reveals a significant gap in HL pedagogy training, with teachers having minimal formal preparation and encountering several challenges such as developing their SHL students' literacy skills and addressing varying levels of proficiency,… [Direct]
(2024). Equity and Excellence: Addressing Underrepresentation in Selective STEM Schools. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) is an organization comprised of member high schools from across the country, some of which are residential schools in which students from across the state apply to gain admittance to advanced academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. Underrepresentation of culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) students in programming with selective admissions processes, such selective STEM schools, has been evident throughout their history, and there is a perceived tension between the goals of excellence and equity in discussions around addressing this underrepresentation. The purpose of this study is to explore, describe, and understand the purpose of chosen selective STEM schools while interrogating how this impacts whom they claim to serve. I conducted a qualitative study focused on three residential selective STEM schools that are members of NCSSS using a critical race theory… [Direct]
(2024). Examining the Lived Experiences of Higher Education Administrators of Color with STEM Related Doctoral Degrees. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Colorado State University. The imperative to increase the representation of historically minoritized groups (HMG) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers by addressing systemic barriers in the United States remains a formidable challenge with profound implications. By 2036, the majority of high school graduates in the United States will be people of color (Ellsworth et al., 2022), necessitating that research-intensive institutions, particularly historically white institutions (HWI), implement robust systems and structures to mitigate systemic challenges faced by students of color. Failure to address systemic barriers discourages people of color from pursuing careers in STEM and academia, perpetuating systemic inequality and depriving higher education institutions of opportunities to foster equitable and just environments. This study investigates the lived experiences of individuals of color who earned STEM degrees and pursued careers as higher education practitioners or… [Direct]
(2024). Black MPH Internship Experiences in Racialized Organizations: Critical Counter-Narratives for a More Racially Just Public Health Workforce. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of South Carolina. Internships are a vital component of Master of Public Health (MPH) programs. Despite 14% of MPH students identifying as Black, limited research has examined their internship experiences. This is particularly troubling given the racial demographics of the public health workforce and the racialized nature of most public health organizations. Using critical race theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework and critical counter-narrative as a methodology, this study sought to answer the following research questions: "1) How do Black MPH students describe their racialized experiences in their internships?" and "2) What are the implications of Black MPH students' narratives for policies and practices related to internships?" Using homogenous purposive sampling, 14 Black MPH students who completed internships from 2020 to 2023 at an accredited school of public health in the southeast were recruited to participate in this study. Data was collected using two semi-structured… [Direct]
(2024). A Causal Comparative Study of Early Literacy Skills and Reading Proficiency of Black Boys in Grade 3. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, National University. Research examining reading abilities among Black children diverges significantly from prior literature, which either lacked focus or lacked substantial representation of Black children. Black students, particularly boys, tend to exhibit lower academic achievement compared to their peers. The problem addressed in this study is that Black boys, in particular, are not acquiring the early literacy skills identified by early childhood education curricula and assessments, which results in them not learning at the same level as other students. This study is important because, without the early literacy skills that are taught in early grades, Black boys will continue to struggle fundamentally without knowing how to learn and retain the information given in grades three and beyond. The theoretical framework for this study focused on emergent literacy theory as the framework for preparing students of all backgrounds for learning, and critical race theory is an accompanying model to explain… [Direct]
(2024). Faculty of Color Experiences with Their Community College Police. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Long Beach. The purpose of this study was to deepen understanding of faculty of color experiences with their community college campus police, use a systematic approach for exploring their feelings connected to these experiences, and identify alternative strategies to increase sense of safety among faculty of color. A critical race theory (CRT) theoretical framework was used to illuminate the ways in which structural racism persists in academia through campus policing. Additionally, an abolitionist framework guided the research to focus on uncovering what is unknown about policing in higher education, and to highlight alternatives to campus police that faculty of color desire and engage in. The sample included 10 faculty of color from a Southern California Community College who were concurrently employed at the college for more than 4 years each. The findings revealed that racial identity informed faculty of color feelings about campus police, but views varied by the individual, and were… [Direct]
(2024). Voices of Strength: Exploring the Experiences of Low-Income Single Mothers within the University of California System. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Long Beach. Higher education is widely recognized as a catalyst for upward mobility and a societal benefit, yet this acknowledgment often overlooks the unique challenges faced by low-income single mothers of color (LISMC). Despite the University of California (UC) system's status as a leading public research institution, it provides limited support for LISMC students. While research indicates that LISMC often outperform their non-parenting peers academically, data reveals that their graduation rates lag behind those of non-parenting students. Moreover, LISMC encounter significant financial obstacles and institutional barriers in their pursuit of a 4-year degree. Informed by the conceptual frameworks of community cultural wealth and critical race theory, this qualitative study aims to delve into the experiences of LISMC within the UC system. A narrative inquiry approach was used to interview 13 LISMC who attended or recently attended UC campuses. Through the use of testimonios, participants'… [Direct]
(2024). The Narrative Journeys of Women of Color High-Level Educational Leaders. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Claremont Graduate University. Although their numbers are growing in the field of education, women of color are highly underrepresented in high-level leadership positions such as superintendent of schools. The purpose of this narrative research study was to explore the experiences, facilitators, and barriers of 20 women of color high-level educational leaders, including district superintendents and assistant/associate superintendents in California. Framed by the concepts of the Leadership Labyrinth, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality Theory, this study aimed to elevate the voices of a marginalized group of educators who earned high-level leadership positions in public educational organizations. This study shed light on the experiences, trajectories, and barriers that the participants in this study navigated to earn their professional positions. Nineteen out of the 20 women of color participants in this study never thought of themselves as leaders and never had any intention of pursuing high-level… [Direct]
(2024). A Reflection of First-Year Black and Latine/x Students' Consideration of Their Racial-Ethnic Identity in the Choice to Attend a Highly Selective Public R1. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Michigan. This dissertation investigates the role of ethnic-racial identity in the college choice and first-year experience of Black and Latinx students attending a highly selective, large, public R1 in the Midwest. My research questions are guided by Camille Wilson's (formerly Cooper) Positioned School Choice (2007) and Critical Race Theory through Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework, focusing on ethnic and racial assets of Black and Latinx students' college choice. The research questions are: 1) What cultural/racial aspects of their lives do Black and Latinx students draw on to choose the University of Michigan? 2) What experiences do these students draw on from their home environments, such as family and community? 3) What role does their school context play, and 4) How are other factors present? In contrast to traditional deficit literature, this dissertation study seeks to understand better how and why the limited number of high-achieving Black and Latinx students who… [Direct]
(2024). White Faculty Motivation to Participate in Cultural Competency Training and the Related Impact to Equitable Educational Access for Students of Color: A Phenomenology Study. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Delaware State University. The racial and ethnic diversity of faculty in the United States is not keeping pace with that of students. Still, the majority of faculty are white despite improvement over the past twenty years (Davis & Fry, 2019). The need for faculty to enhance their cultural awareness and multicultural efficacy in higher education is evident (Lawson-Davenport, 2014). The need for cultural awareness training became evident from the results of studies conducted by Al-Asfour & Young (2017), Devereaux et al. (2010), Nieto & Booth (2010), and Pothoff et al. (2001). Consequently, the purpose of this study is to explore White faculty motivation to participate in cultural competency training, which will assist in providing adequate educational access to Students of Color at a predominantly white institution in the Midwest of the United States. Critical Race Theory was the theoretical framework that was employed to underpin the study. Purposeful sampling was the technique used to select the… [Direct]
(2022). Schooling with Racial Equity at the Center: A Case Study Exploration of One Elementary School-Based Leadership Team. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Massachusetts Boston. Pre-K-12 schooling in the United States has historically and systemically promoted ideas of Black inferiority while safeguarding the characteristics of white supremacy culture embedded in all aspects of the education system. The notion of white dominance is evident throughout studies, policies, and reports from district, state, and federal officials who have been tasked with closing the achievement gap but instead have assigned blame to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and families. An analysis of the history of U.S. public education reveals not a single achievement gap but multiple opportunity gaps that perpetuate the subjugation of Black students through educational injustice. This study employed critical race theory to examine how a pre-K-5 elementary school community located in the northeastern United States prioritized antiracism and applied a multilayered approach to racial equity. Case study methodology was utilized to unpack the nonlinear and continual… [Direct]