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This research project explores the relationship between the use of culturally sensitive reading material and reading comprehension among Spanish-speaking language minority students of elementary school age. Text includes Spanish and English transcriptions of stories.

This study focused on "comprehensive" partnerships between K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions created to improve the pre-college academic preparation, college enrollment and postsecondary success of minority and disadvantaged students. The study identified such partnerships in existence in the United States for more than five years, surveyed the partnerships to describe their characteristics, and selected two of the most successful to analyze their success characteristics. Sixteen such partnerships were identified and surveyed with a 12-item questionnaire designed to inquire about their: (a) structural characteristics, (b) funding, (c) success in achieving their goals and objectives, and (d) collection of data to measure success. Three key informants from each partnership were surveyed. Forty of 48 surveys were returned, for a return rate of 82%. Responses were tabulated to ascertain the degree to which these partnerships had been successful in achieving their goals and identify the areas in which they experienced success. Two of the most successful partnerships were selected for case studies and visited to collect information about the factors that affected their success and to interview five key participants who represented schools and postsecondary institutions in each of the partnerships. An interview protocol was used to probe the degree to which the characteristics of partnerships success identified in the literature (Van de Water, 1989) were present and effected the case study partnerships. Analysis of the surveys, partnership materials, and the interviews provided a comprehensive portrait of each of the study partnerships. Results of the surveys indicate that a majority of these partnerships; consider themselves at least somewhat successful in achieving their goals, and have improved high school preparation and college enrollments. They are, however, less informed about their success in increasing college retention and graduation. The case studies and interviews revealed that the partnerships valued the success characteristics identified in the literature. The most salient characteristics required for success were the existence of leadership capable of negotiating change within several institutions with different organizational cultures, and the need to recognize that partnerships are unique organizations with some of the same peculiarities, structures and needs as other organizations.

This qualitative dissertation explored the digital literacy practices of adolescent Black girls who actively engaged on social media in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, mandatory school shutdowns, and the aftermath of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. I employ the Black Girls’ Literacies (BGL) framework (Haddix & Muhammad, 2016) to analyze the TikTok accounts of two adolescent Black girl influencers, as well as six qualitative interviews I conducted with adolescent Black girls who avidly used video sharing social media apps during that time. The data analysis aligned with the following components of the BGL Framework: Black girls’ literacies are multiple; Black girls’ literacies are tied to identities; and Black girls’ literacies are intellectual, political, and critical. Moreover, the data analysis also revealed that Black girls espoused three different identities while using social media to address the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Black violence. These themes were: Crafting Digital Narratives of the Self as Educators, Crafting Digital Narratives of the Self as Nurturers, and Crafting Digital Narratives of the Self as Digital Activists. My findings suggested that for English educators, prioritizing racial literacy in the English classroom, creating learning experiences that are informed by critical media literacy, and creating a space that honors and supports Black girls’ desires to be activists within their communities are critical for their success within and outside of the English classroom.

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No description available.

Against the background of the lack of consensus on the definition of the concept minority and the continuing debates on minorities and their rights in education, a need exists for adequate provision of education suitable to different minorities. This study investigates the provision of education to minorities. A literature survey investigated how various countries make provision for minorities in their education systems, starting from the Constitutions and various education laws to educational practice. These countries include Belgium, Getmany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy. Regarding South Africa, an analysis of documents dealing with the provision of education to minorities was undertaken. Unstructured interviews, from a small sample of informants selected by purposeful sampling, elicited additional data to the document analysis. Data was analysed, discussed and synthesised. The major findings are: there is no international consensus on the definition of the concept minority; the concept minority does not even appear in the Constitutions of some of the countries under investigation; the South African Constitution uses the concept communities rather than minorities. However, no definition of the concept community is provided and despite reservations expressed by a key informant on group rights, generally the South African Constitution contains enough sections regarding the provision of education to minorities. Subject to certain limitations, minority groups may open their own schools and use their own language. Based on these findings, recommendations for educational provision for minorities are made. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Comparative Education)

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study identified and examined individual, group, institutional, and other factors and conditions associated with the founding and development of private higher education institutions designed to serve religious groups, women, black Americans, native Americans, and Hispanic Americans. A number of distinct influencing social conditions were identified. Distinctness was due to different group needs and circumstances during certain American historical periods. Common social conditions found included need for culturally sensitive institutions, pervasiveness of religious interests in founding attempts, social exclusion and discrimination, population growth and urbanization, democratic opportunity, federal government pervasiveness, and social consciousness change. Fifty-four specific factors associated with the founding and development of institutions were identified. Analysis revealed many complex interrelationships among social, individual, group, institutional and other miscellaneous factors and conditions existing in collegiate institution founding and development efforts. These factors created many variables that could affect the success of the institutions. Forty-two of the fifty-four factors were judged to be important elements for those contemporarily considering founding collegiate institutions. General conclusions: (1) Institutions best able to deal with the many complex factors were most likely to succeed. (2) The more support and (3) confidence institutions could generate, the better their chances for survival. (4) Institutional and community cohesion were important in achieving permanency. (5) Many institutions were created because of perceived socio-economic, political, cultural, and educational inequities. (6) Social groups addressed higher educational needs after increased awareness of their social conditions. (7) Sociocultural differences existed in group approaches to provision of higher education. (8) Regarding effectiveness in founding, groups ranked as follows; religious groups, women, black Americans, native Americans, and Hispanic Americans. (9) Religious denominations were very involved in founding efforts for three of the groups studied, minimally involved with native Americans, least involved with Hispanic Americans. (10) Religious affiliated institutions generally served socio-economic and religious needs of constituents; this was not evident with the Roman Catholic Church and Hispanic Americans. (11) Educated leadership was essential in founding efforts. (12) High dissatisfaction with existing institutions prompted private founding attempts.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if differences exist between selected groups of male and female Anglo-American and Latin-American students with respect to scholastic aptitude as measured by the American College Test, temperament traits as measured by the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey, and beliefs in traditional values as measured by the Inventory of Beliefs.