African American males in all socioeconomic levels are underperforming in school. Many researchers have conducted studies hoping to find reasons for the underperformance. This study focused on three middle class African American males in a suburban school district. These African American male students took upper level math courses that included Algebra III, Math Analysis, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics. This study modeled the study by E. Wayne Harris. He believed students were influenced by eight factors to include parents, past and present achievement, teachers, love of math, counselors, high school graduation/college admissions requirements, peers, and future plans. I conducted a qualitative case study in which students, parents, teachers, counselors, and the math department supervisor were interviewed. The interview questions provided data that were analyzed to determine the influences of the factors listed above. The data gathered during the interviews was used to assess the influence of the factors in the decision making process of the middle class African American males in the study to take upper level math classes. This researcher concluded 1) The parents expected their children to attend college, but the school staff did not have goals that directed the students to take courses that would prepare them for college, 2) Students had post secondary plans. 3) Two of the three parents advised their sons on what math classes to take, 4) There were no policies or practices in place to influence African American males to take more than the required three years of math or upper level math classes, 5) The school culture did not encourage student to take more academic classes, 6) There was no negative peer pressure for taking upper level math classes, and 7) Parents, teachers, counselors and the math department supervisor need to provide more input to African American male students to increase their participation in upper level math classes. In addition, factors such as love of math, high school graduation/college admissions requirements, peers, and future plans must also be addressed if schools hope to increase the number of African American males taking upper level math classes. / Ed. D.

This study investigated the academic and athletic experiences of African-American males in a Division I football bowl subdivision football program. Critical race theory, identity development model, and social learning model were the theoretical frameworks used as the critical lenses in a qualitative design to examine the participants. The participants’ responses were analyzed and interpreted using thematic analysis. A qualitative research design, which included individual interviews with 10 second year African-American male football players, was used to address this research problem. The goal was to bring together both the psychological and sociological perspectives and to challenge participants to candidly describe their academic and athletic experiences and attitudes toward obtaining an undergraduate degree. Four themes were determined in the data analysis: differential treatment and determining oneself, time management, relationships, and career aspirations. In relation to the theoretical frameworks, the development of self-confidence and knowledge of balancing their academic and athletic schedules was critical for all participants. The sense of feeling different and challenged because of the differences in culture and experience was evident. From this study, university and collegiate athletics administrators may better understand the backgrounds, challenges, and learning needs of this population. As a result, higher education personnel may improve the services they provide these young men in hopes of educating and developing whole persons—physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially, and spiritually—to become well-rounded and functional in contemporary society.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum & Instruction Programs / Kay Ann Taylor / African American males have the second highest dropout rate in this Midwest state‘s largest public school district. Often, African American male students take an abundance of elective classes but do not complete core classes that guarantee a diploma. This study documented and analyzed the experiences of African American male students who completed or attempted to complete their high school diplomas in an alternative setting. The study is significant because it reveals the importance of how time is structured in an alternative educational setting; it discloses the pervasiveness of racism in public education, and it exposes the widespread stereotyping of African American males by teachers and other authority figures. African American male students who have attended both traditional and alternative public schools have been overlooked in previous research. Self-ethnography comprised the methodology. The intersectionality of gender, race, grades, racism, athletic involvement, law, and relationships formed a crucial paradigm of this investigation. Research findings include: (a) the major difference between traditional public and alternative schools is how time is structured, (b) African American males believe that they often are stereotyped, (c) high school athletes receive special privileges that they see later as obstacles, (d) African American males sometimes deliberately assume a pleasing demeanor toward teachers, (e) African American male students respond positively to teachers who conduct themselves with clear purpose, (f) African American males returning to school for high school credit recovery demonstrate tenacity and resist stereotypes. The cornerstone tenets of CRT—racism is the norm, interest convergence, and the need for social justice for oppressed groups—were evident in the findings of the frequency of stereotyping and treatment of African American male high school athletes. In the interest of social justice for African American male students, it is recommended that teachers are provided with the following information: (a) how to avoid consciously stereotyping; (b) that African American males make conscious efforts to be approachable; (c) how to make necessary changes involving their authority. Recommended future research for African American males includes: (a) how the construction of time in traditional public schools affects their credit acquisition; (b) communication between the counseling and athletic departments; (c) the impact of athletic involvement on academics.

Fourth grade African American male students have the lowest rate of reading proficiency in the nation and are more likely to require remedial reading programs. Prior research suggested reading interventions that considered student ability, instructional practices, and curriculum rigor improved reading ability. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the influence of a remedial reading program, READ180, on 4th grade African American male students' reading comprehension as measured by 2 different standardized reading tests, TerraNova (TN) and Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) that are administered annually to all students. The theoretical framework was Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development. Research questions examined the differences in TN scores between students who received READ180 instruction compared to students who received traditional instruction as well as the effect on SRI scores of 7 students before and after participating in READ180. For data analysis, archival data were available for 2 years of SRI scores, but only a year of TN scores. An independent t-test for the TN scores between TN scores of READ180 students (n = 7) and traditionally instructed students (n = 19) showed no statistical difference (p = .092). A paired t-test indicated a significant (p < .009) increase in SRI posttest scores of READ180 students. The small number of subjects were under-powered and a result of available archival data, but the data met test assumptions. Implications for social change are that academically disenfranchised students may achieve reading proficiency when reading programs provide direct instruction that target, monitor, and intentionally support individualized learning needs.

The school to prison pipeline is a phrase used to describe the phenomenon where youth, and disproportionately African American males, are pushed out of public school systems into criminal justice systems. It hints at the possibility that incarceration is not a matter of chance, but often a structurally created and supported outcome. In order to understand the men most disproportionately impacted by the phenomena this study explores the narratives of twelve formerly incarcerated African American men. Structural racism, challenges of school integrations and criminal justice policies emerge as powerful influences on the life outcomes of formerly incarcerated African American men. This study goes beyond statistical accounts of racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system to deeply consider the voices of generations of formerly incarcerated African American men. Understanding the impact of the school and justice systems on the lives of African American men has implications for educators and policy makers. / text

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF SHEILA LONG, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, presented on April 4, 2017, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: African American Males’ Achievement in Literacy at a Medium-sized School District MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. John McIntyre, Examination Committee Chair The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine how culturally relevant pedagogy affects African American males’ academic achievement in literacy. The study examined the perceptions of third grade teachers and third grade African American male students about the use of culturally relevant pedagogy in their classrooms. Culturally relevant pedagogy is defined operationally as “student-centered approach to teaching in which the students' unique cultural strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student achievement and a sense of well-being about the student's cultural place in the world.” Culturally relevant pedagogy is consistent with students’ values and culture that ensures academic achievement while still meeting the expectations of the school district and state requirements. This study was a sequential explanatory mixed method study. Phase one of the study was a quantitative survey of 20 questions that was completed by 8 3rd grade teachers. A small sample size. The data was analyzed using matched pair T-Test of teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive literacy use in the classrooms and African American males’ vocabulary. In addition to the surveys, Pre- and Post-Vocabulary Tests were collected from 47 3rd grade African American males who attend school in this predominantly white school district. Phase II of the study was a convenience sample of 9 3rd grade teachers and 19 African American males 3rd grade students. I investigated the students’ perceptions of culturally responsive pedagogy through the use of the Journeys (2013) basal series in classrooms. The data was collected and analyzed using interviews and observations. The following questions were addressed to explore the research topic: First, how does the use of culturally responsive pedagogy increase African American males’ achievement in literacy as measured by I-Ready assessment? Second, what perceptions do teachers have about the use of culturally responsive pedagogy in their classrooms? Third, what perceptions do third grade African American male students have about the use of culturally responsive pedagogy in their classrooms? The findings of the study showed that African American males’ literacy scores increased with the implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy using the Journeys’ (2013) Basal series.

This project was a synthesis of studies of the academic achievement of African-American males in undergraduate, four-year institutions in the United States. The purpose of this synthesis was twofold. The first purpose was to collect studies on the academic achievement of African-American males. The second purpose was to identify variables associated with achievement of African-American males. In this review of 13 studies, 48 variables associated with academic achievement of undergraduate, African-American males were identified. These variables were placed into three categories: personal variables, demographic variables, and institutional variables. Personal variables were sub-divided into non-cognitive and cognitive variables. Findings specific to each category of variables are included below: <u>Personal, non-cognitive variables.</u> African-American males with high scores on measures of educational aspirations, values (courage, exciting life, cleanliness, imagination, and helpfulness), emotional intelligence, acceptability of mixed dating, self-confidence, satisfaction with academic advising and tutoring, being in control of academic outcomes, preference for long-term goals, academic self-concept, self-esteem, self-concept of ability, specific personality traits (achievement aspirations, affiliation, dominance, endurance, exhibition, harm avoidance, nurturance, order, play, and understanding), favorable opinions of their study habits and relationships with others, and low scores on alienation and reliance on family and institutions to solve social and academic problems had higher grade-point averages than those with contrasting scores on these variables. Encouragement from family and other role models appears to be associated with academic achievement of African-American male undergraduates as well. <u>Personal, cognitive variables.</u> African-American males with high grades in high school, high class ranks in high school, and high scores on college entrance examinations had higher college grade-point averages than those with lower high school grades, high school ranks, and entrance examination scores. <u>Demographic variables.</u> Non-transfer, younger students in nondevelopmental and humanities and arts programs were more likely to persist in college than transfer and older students in developmental and math and science programs. Participants in a math workshop achieved higher grade-point averages in a freshman calculus course than students who did not participate in the workshop. <u>Institutional variables.</u> African-American males who attended predominantly black colleges and universities earned higher grade-point averages than those who attended predominantly white colleges and universities. African-American males who attended four-year institutions earned higher grade-point averages than those who attended community colleges. Those on both black and white campuses who scored higher on a college environment opinion survey covering academic integration, satisfaction with the campus environment, and institutional support achieved higher grade-point averages than those who scored lower on the survey. For those on white campuses who came from high schools with very different racial compositions from those of the colleges they were attending achieved higher grade-point averages than students who came from high schools with very similar racial compositions to those of the colleges they were attending. In conclusion, academic achievement of undergraduate African-American males is associated with a combination of personal variables, demographic variables and institutional variables. The majority of these variables are personal, non-cognitive variables. / Ph. D.

This study was designed to explore, identify, and examine how African-American males were able to persist in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. The findings were used to gain insight to how some African-American males persevere in engineering disciplines and others do not. In addition, the study was designed to better understand the institutional barriers that were perceived as having to overcome in order to persist as an engineering student and to pinpoint the factors that most influenced their decision to pursue engineering. It was also intended that this study would provide the groundwork for the development of a conceptual model that would have implications for recruiting, retaining, and graduating African-American males. Such a conceptual model would complement existing literature related to academic success and achievement in higher education. The primary sources of collecting data were focus groups, individual interviews, and biographical questionnaires. These research methods allowed African-American males to share their stories and experiences in their own words. A total of 42 African-American males participated in the study. The participants were divided into five sample-groups: (1) Ultimate-Persistent Group, African-American males who were former engineering students but who had already graduated with an engineering degree from Virginia Tech; (2) Exemplary-Persistent Group, African-American male engineering students who were categorized as juniors and/or seniors with a 2.5 QCA or higher; (3) Satisfactory-Persistent Group, African-American male engineering students who were categorized as juniors and/or seniors with a 2.0 - 2.5 QCA; (4) Unsatisfactory-Persistent Group, African-American male engineering students who were categorized as juniors and/or seniors with less than a 2.0 QCA; (5) Non-Persistent Group, African-American males (former engineering students) who left engineering but were classified as juniors and/or seniors based on the number of years enrolled in the university. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory method. The findings of the study clearly indicated that a number of factors influenced these African-American males' interest and skill development in math, science, and engineering. Such salient factors were family members, teachers, role models, science and math programs, and participants' genuine interests in such subject areas. In many ways, the factors that were identified as influencing these African-American males' decision to pursue engineering were also identified as being instrumental in helping them persist in engineering. More specifically, these factors were the following: commitment to engineering, familial support, integration in the social and academic environment, connection or link with academic resources, clear goals with a realistic plan of action, regular interaction with African-American and non-African-American peers, both politically and academically sound, and a sense of racial identity. When these factors were low and/or absent, the researcher discovered that these African-American males had more difficulty persisting and were more likely to transfer out of the College of Engineering. This was especially the case for the Unsatisfactory Persistent Group and Non-Persistent Group. Similar to Delores Scott's (1995) findings, those African-American males who did persist and/or graduate stated that they were determined to succeed in engineering so they could prove to those individuals, who doubted they could be successful in the College of Engineering, that they would get their engineering degrees. This underpinning of determination served as motivation for many of the sample groups, such as the Ultimate-Persistent Group, Exemplary-Persistent Group, and Satisfactory-Persistent Group. / Ph. D.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The United States of America incarcerates more of its citizens than any other industrialized nation. Moreover, African American males are disproportionately targeted for incarceration in a system reminiscent of the system of slavery abolished after the civil war. As the cycle of recidivism plays itself out in this nation, this research examines the experiences of Black males who have broken the cycle to reestablish themselves within society through educating themselves in our nation's colleges and universities. This work is a phenomenological multiple case study that examines the experiences of five men who were incarcerated for a felony offense and successfully obtained bachelor's degree upon release. This research asks the questions: what motivated the pursuit of a degree, how did they pay for it, what resources were utilized, what challenges were overcome, and what impact this achievement had on their lives? Additionally, this research examines current correctional and educational policies and their impact on the Black community and concludes by making recommendations grounded in the research on how the nation can reduce recidivism rates and better serve African American communities.

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