The University of Kentucky (UK) and University of Michigan (UM) present very different patterns in terms of black student enrollments and completions from 2000 to 2012 because of a structural explanation, a qualitative explanation, and a statistical explanation. Unfortunately, the patterns at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) are partial due to a lack of data. First, the structural explanation is that UK, as a university in the state of Kentucky, was under a mandate from the U.S. Department of Education to desegregate because they were in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (KCPE) gave specific goals related to black student enrollment and completions. Substantial progress was made from 2000-2012, primarily during the time when Lee Todd Jr. created the President’s Commission on Diversity (PCD) which implemented strategies to achieve the goals. While the same federal laws applied to UM, as a northern state they were not under the same federal scrutiny regarding desegregation. UM was taking an aggressive approach with regards to increasing black student enrollments and completions under president Lee Bollinger, and he passed the process along to Mary Sue Coleman, but UM was faced with a negative response and resistance in terms of lawsuits in 2003 and legislation in 2006 (the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative or MCRI) which banned the consideration of race for all public colleges and universities in admissions. UM is highly selective, and a legacy of social movements by black students was stronger at UM than at UK, which may have increased media scrutiny and negative reactions. Essentially, UK’s success was based on an externally monitored topdown approach with little media scrutiny. Second, archived university websites from 2000-2012 and interviews with 21 key informants at the three universities showed a difference in the way diversity initiatives were framed. The Kentucky Plan, the desegregation mandate, had concrete and explicit language in terms of requirements related to black student enrollment at UK. The implementation at UK, although sometimes using broad and general language, was accountable to the explicit requirements of the mandate and black student enrollments and completions increased during that timeframe. At UM, during the Mary Sue Coleman administration, what began as explicit policy under Lee Bollinger became more general and vague policy after the 2003 lawsuits and 2006 legislation banning affirmative action, corresponding with a decline in black student enrollments and completions. Under Coleman, some have questioned whether the legislation was truly an obstacle, or an excuse to rationalize inaction with regards to black student enrollments and completions as they declined. In Ontario the language was typically general, and race tended to be absent, with diversity often conceptualized in terms of internationalizing the student body. Third, the statistical explanation is based on the cross-sectional examination of available National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data available for the universities in both states in the U.S.A. in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012. Before 2006, state-level politics do not explain enrollments or completions. In 2009 and 2012, a variable representing the MCRI for four-year public universities in Michigan is significant in explaining decreased black student completions, however it was not significant for enrollments. This applies not only to two universities, it applies to the four-year public institutions in both states, but it does not apply to community colleges since they are primarily open enrollment. Finally, the cross-national comparison between the U.S. and Canada does not have concrete data because UWO, like all Canadian universities from 2000-2012, did not collect student data based on race. However, interview data and the framing of policies in this study shows significant problems with racial incidents and low black student enrollments. So under the Canadian multiculturalist regime, the common neglect of collecting racial statistics suggest the possibility of a multiculturalist parallel to colorblind racism that I call racism-blind multiculturalism.

Guided by the conceptual framework of self-directed learning and culture, this study investigated the effectiveness of Title IV private, for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs). Little research has examined this topic, which is problematic considering the disproportionate rate of student loan defaults experienced by Black FPCU borrowers. A phenomenological design was used to explore the meaning of academic achievement for Black doctorate recipients who attained a doctorate in psychology through an FPCU. This study specifically examined how Black students experience the completion of doctoral psychology programs at 2 FPCUs and what factors contributed to these students finishing their degrees. A unique-criterion-purposive sample of 7 Black students who completed doctoral psychology programs at FPCUs within the past 5 years was recruited to participate in telephone interviews. Moustakas' data analysis steps were applied to the data. The results indicated that study participants saw an association between attaining their doctorates in psychology and their self-actualization. They shared the experiences of selecting a suitable FPCU, choosing a specialty area, negotiating transfer credits, completing the doctoral coursework phase, and completing the dissertation phase. Their commitment to achieving self-actualization was a salient experience in finishing their degrees. A core aspect of self-actualization was their cultural knowledge, which helped them to overcome challenges and persevere. However, the results uncovered some insufficiencies in the FPCUs' practices. They have implications for positive social change by highlighting how FPCU academic support services might use cultural knowledge and self-actualization strategies to maximize the successful matriculation of Black students.

abstract: Over 150 years since the abolition of slavery, African Americans still lack equal access to education and other quality of life markers. However, a slow increase in African American students pursuing and obtaining higher education demonstrates the progress of African American academic success. Although still not at an equitable level, this progress, and the voices of success are often muted by the majoritarian narrative of African American student failure. This research focuses on African American student success and examines the specific socio-cultural characteristics and processes that shape the ways in which African American students develop their own counter-narratives to persist and gain access to higher education. This study utilizes narrative inquiry in the form of interviews, artifacts collection and student-drawn identity maps to understand the factors that influence the development of counter-narratives. The primary research questions included: What narratives did African American students tell themselves to help them persist in school, attain a high school diploma and pursue higher education? How did they develop their narratives? How did their narratives influence their educational experiences? Five African American students who attended an elite public university in the southwest United States participated in four to five interviews ranging from six to ten hours in total. Through the analysis of their stories, the importance of culture and context were clear. Specifically their social support systems including their parents, siblings, teachers and mentors, significantly influenced their identity development and human agency. The findings also point to a critical path forward: if society commits to supporting African American student success, then shine a light on stories of persistence and potential rather than shortcomings and failures. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2016

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:38:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPSA.pdf: 1664828 bytes, checksum: 6f4fb2b20ce7a32642050b5f6122298f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-27 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / This research is related to the influence of Teaching of History to build the sense of embrace their ethnic-racial roots and the relation between blacks and whites. It has participated in this research four former black students of an Affirmative Action project who took place in the city of Sao Carlos, state of Sao Paulo, which aimed to prepare students to College admission exams. This research was performed and guided by the following research inquiry: Does the teaching of History contribute to the affirmation/denial to the ethnic-racial feeling of poor black students in the college admission courses? The study takes off from the observations made by the researcher in charge for the subjects of History and Geography in this project. He aimed to verify whether the teaching of History interferes in the self esteem and identity of afro-descendants students, leading them to the feeling of denying their own ethnic racial roots, which is fabricated in the society. Systematic talks with two former female students and two male students were conducted involved in the Affirmative action project that was developed in the period of 2002 and 2003, sponsored by Fundação Ford and attached to Department of Physics of USP, campus Sao Carlos Sao Paulo, aiming to facilitate the access and permanence of poor black students at the public university. It also aimed to strike back situations of prejudice, discrimination and racism such ideas reinforced by ideologies still present along the years in Brazil. The findings showed that the integration of the researched students favored them to embrace the feeling of ethnic and racial roots to what they were alike, when they identify themselves as afro-descendants. These students dealt with racist attitudes and discriminations in their routine. However, they got their self esteem and identity favored by the time they recognized themselves as culture makers and active agents in the scenery of the Brazilian history. / Esta pesquisa está relacionada às influências do Ensino de História na construção do pertencimento étnico-racial e nas relações entre negros e brancos. Teve como participantes quatro ex-alunos afro-descendentes de um projeto de Ação Afirmativa, realizado na cidade de São Carlos-SP, que visava preparar estudantes para o exame vestibular. Esta pesquisa foi realizada, orientando-se pela seguinte questão de pesquisa: O ensino de História contribui para afirmação/negação ao pertencimento racial de estudantes negros e carentes em cursinho pré-vestibular? O estudo parte de observações feitas pelo pesquisador, responsável pelas disciplinas de História e Geografia nesse projeto. E teve por objetivos de verificar se o Ensino de História interfere na auto-estima e identidade de alunos afro-descendentes, levando-os a não aceitação de seu pertencimento étnico-racial, o que é reproduzido na sociedade. Realizou-se conversas sistemáticas com duas ex-alunas e dois ex-alunos, estudantes do projeto de ação afirmativa, que se desenvolveu no período entre 2002 e 2003, com recursos da Fundação Ford, vinculado ao Departamento de Física da USP, campus São Carlos - São Paulo, com o objetivo de facilitar o acesso e permanência de alunos negros e carentes na Universidade Pública, e de rebater situações de preconceitos, discriminações e racismo fortalecidos por ideologias que se fazem presente ao longo do fazer histórico brasileiro. Constatou-se que com a integração dos jovens ao projeto em pauta, houve favorecimento para que estes assumissem o pertencimento étnico-racial com o qual se identificavam, sentindo-se fortificados quando identificaram-se como negros. Passaram a rebater atitudes racistas, discriminatórias sofridas no cotidiano, tiveram ainda o favorecimento da auto-estima, identidade, a partir do momento que se reconheceram fazedores de culturas e agentes ativos no fazer da História, da História brasileira.

Orientador: Omar Ribeiro Thomaz / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T22:50:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Souza_FabianaMendesde_M.pdf: 1532483 bytes, checksum: 3073e00cd7c78b8f9ee7e362bae7683c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: o presente trabalho é uma tentativa de recuperar as trajetórias escolares de estudantes negros na Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp. O objetivo central é compreender como a cor da pele interferiu e interfere nas vivências dos entrevistados, sobretudo, nos ambientes escolares, pelos quais estes têm passado. O pressuposto deste trabalho é que essas trajetórias seriam excepcionais, na medida em que estes estudantes negros teriam superado os limites de práticas pedagógicas estigmatizadoras ao ingressarem no sistema superior de ensino, que é reconhecido socialmente como espaço de difícil acesso, pelo seu processo de seleção baseado no conteúdo escolar. Chegando a campo me surpreendi, pois encontrei uma realidade distinta. Havia um grupo de estudantes negros cujas trajetórias de vida não compunham o descrito pela bibliografia. Encontrei jovens estudantes negros cujas histórias de vida não se diferenciavam em quase nada dos outros alunos universitários. Digo quase nada, pois a cor da pele parecia ser sua única diferença. Assim, ao terminar minhas entrevistas tinha um quadro interessante: um grupo de estudantes negros cujas trajetórias sociais eram similares a de outros estudantes já relatado em outros estudos, ou seja, encontrei trajetórias sociais de estudantes negros com menores condições socioeconômicas - o que já era esperado - encontrei, também, no entanto, trajetórias sociais de estudantes negros, cujas condições sociais os aproximavam do estudante universitário padrão: jovens, com pais com alto nível de escolaridade e com renda familiar elevada. Concluo que o estigma da cor da pele nas trajetórias escolares e acadêmicas dos entrevistados se expressa através dos mecanismos de auto-refinamento e silenciamento, provocando invisibilização do preconceito e discriminação racial na escola e na universidade / Abstract: The present study is an attempt of recovering the school trajectories of black students at State University of Campinas - UNICAMP. The main objective is the comprehension of how the skin tone had affected and affects the living of the interviewees, specially, in the school environments where they been through. The presupposition of this work is that the trajectories would be exceptional while these black students, when they reach the university (a competitive place which selection is based on merit), would have gone beyond the boundaries of educational practices that stigmatized them. But when I faced the object, I got surprised because I found a different reality. There was a group of black students which trajectories of life were the opposite of those described by the bibliography I was lied on. I met young black students which lives were very similar to any UNICAMP student's life. I mean very similar, because the skin tone was which make them different. Thus, by the end of the interviews I got an interesting picture: a group of black students which social trajectories were similar to the other students already researched, I mean I found some students of lower social classes - it was expected. But I found aIso black students which social conditions were very coherent to the typical university student: young boys and girls which parents have high schooling and income. I come to a conclusion that the skin tone stigma in school and academic trajectories of the interviewees is expressed through the mechanism of self refinement and silence that turns invisible the racial prejudice in the school and university / Mestrado / Politica, Memoria e Cidade / Mestre em Antropologia Social

M.A. (Psychology) / The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the career decisions of Black rural and urban high school students. Holland's (1985) structural-interactive career theory was decided upon as the main theoretical base. The reason for this decision is based on the simplicity of the theory as well as the fact that research into the applicability of the theory to Black South Africans is needed. Holland's theory (1985) is based on the assumption that all people and work environments can be characterised into one of six types; namely the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. Each is dominated by certain likes and dislikes as well as certain attitudes and skills. Based on this theory is the Self-Directed Search (50S) which is used to indicate the resemblance of the person to each of the six types. The SNUG guide to career choice workbook (Scheepers, 1996) which is based on the 50S, was used in this study to investigate career choices. The nature of the study can be classified as empirical involving the use of quantitative data-collection methods. The research design and the paradigm of the study can be typified as quasi-experimental. The sample consisted of 144 grade 12 Black high school students. Two schools within the Northern Province region in Giyani and two schools from Gauteng province in Soweto participated. There are two main groups namely the rural (Giyani) and urban (Soweto) groups. The SNUG workbook included a biographical section together with a brief exploration of how an individual chooses his or her career.

Although school districts in Florida have reported a decrease in the overall dropout rate, the dropout rate among African American males remains higher than it does for any other ethnic group. Guided by Ogbu's oppositional culture theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the high dropout rate among African American males and determine some of the social, cultural, educational, and economic elements that may hinder African American males from completing high school. A purposive sample of 10 African American males who dropped out of high school and who were between the ages of 18 and 35 was selected to participate in this study. Thirty open-ended interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using an open coding system. Twelve themes emerged that provided evidence of the complex factors associated with dropping out. The major themes included lack of motivation from parents and teachers, disengagement from the educational institution, economic challenges related to poverty, and peer influence. It is recommended that programs and curricula be developed and implemented that would create opportunities to build positive relationships between African American male students and their teachers, parents, and peers. Positive social change could occur with an increase in the graduation rate of African American male students, which would offer a more educated work force for the community.

Historically, identifying solutions to the achievement gap between Black and White students has plagued education. Twenty-first century challenges have emerged to include an achievement gap between Black and Hispanic students in literacy as early as 4th grade. Limited research exists on the use of English language learner (ELL) instructional strategies with Black standard English learners (SELs). This project study narrows the gap in previous research. The goal was to use a collective case study approach to investigate the professional development needs of the Northeast School District through the perspective of 5 Title I, ELL, kindergarten through sixth-grade elementary school principals. Social constructivism guided the theoretical framework. The research questions focused on principals' perceptions of the effect of ELL strategies on Hispanic ELL literacy rates and the benefits of systemic professional development on using ELL strategies for Black SELs. Data were collected from the principals through a focus group discussion and 5 semi-structured interviews. The data were then transcribed and coded to establish themes, based on the participants' perceptions. The major themes centered on the need for teachers to understand and incorporate their student culture in lessons through cultural proficiency; the instructional benefits for Black SELs in ELL classrooms; and the importance of consistent, applicable, systemic professional development. School districts may use these findings results to make decisions on systemic professional development for elementary school administrators and teachers, with positive results for Black SEL proficiency in literacy.

This study addressed the academic, cultural, and social expectations and experiences of 20 Black students at 2 predominantly White high schools in the Southern Appalachian region of the United States. The participants' experiences revealed how institutional practices promoted or obstructed their successful experiences at high school. Qualitative ethnographic methodology guided the study. The data collected included the stories of the Black students based on individual interviews, focus groups, and document reviews. The data showed the positive and negative experiences of the Black students in predominantly White high schools and the negative impacts of racism and racist behaviors on Black students' experiences at their high schools. Findings indicate a difference between the students' academic, cultural, and social expectations and experiences. Many of these differences in expectations and actual experiences were caused by the racist experiences of the Black students. Social networks were shown to contribute to the students' need for a place of safety. Recommendations based on the results of the study are provided for school administration, teachers, and other staff members.

The purpose of this case study was to explore the factors that influence Black students' decisions to participate in study abroad programs. This study took place at a large, public, Predominantly White Institution in the southeastern United States. Three theories formed a conceptual framework to guide this study, including Critical Race Theory, Theory of Planed Behavior, and Astin's Input-Environment-Output Model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 Black study abroad alumni, which revealed 6 themes of influential factors in making decisions to participate in study abroad: (a) familiarity, (b) finance, (c) family, (d) faculty, (e) fear, and (f) finish.