Progressive education has the socially transformative potential to mitigate the racialized violence of neoliberal education reform, but is dominated by white norms and has failed for more than a century to articulate a coherent or purposeful political agenda explicitly committed to racial equity and justice. Informed by Critical Race Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Critical Biculturalism, this qualitative study engaged Black progressive educators and activists in an effort not only to understand the contours and impacts of white hegemonic norms in progressive education spaces, but also to produce a framework of principles, policies, and/or practices that could disrupt them. Using Critical Narrative Inquiry as a research method, four Black progressive educators and activists participated in semi-structured interviews in two parts: first, to elicit stories that speak to emotions, environments, and past experiences of whiteness in progressive education spaces, and second, to invite participants to identify principles, policies, or practices that could move progressive education from a “white space” (Anderson, 2015) to “cultural democracy” (Darder, 2012). Analysis of participants’ stories yielded five predominant themes unveiling the complex dynamics of whiteness in progressive education spaces. Findings supplement the limited field of research on the racialized dynamics of progressive education by offering recommendations to Black and white progressive educators and activists, progressive school and organizational leaders, and progressive advocacy organizations and universities to disrupt the hegemony of white norms and advance racial equity and justice in progressive education.

This dissertation reports findings from a sociolinguistic ethnography that examined relationships between literacy practices and personhood. The study involved the formulation of a writing club at an urban middle school, involving a multiracial group of women from the lowest academic track; two were described as special education students. They researched and wrote about their communities, investigating questions of personal concern about issues of racism and sexism. Students interviewed community members, including artists, organizers, neighbors, and peers. Students wrote up and published their findings. I collected data on the writing project, including forty-five hours of taped data. Analysis involved thematic and textual analyses of the students' written artifacts, and microanalysis of videotaped events. A microethnographic analysis examined sociolinguistic processes that research suggested is important. Attention was paid to the social construction of intertextuality during writing activities. The findings show that the nature of literacy practices and personhood is such that they are continuously and inherently constructed within particular fields of intertextual semantic potentials. These intertextual potentials are described along five dimensions: (1) ways students' definitions of personhood changed over the course of the project, (2) strategies students, community members, and myself used to position students, (3) how the project's structure positioned students, (4) community literacy practices and how they positioned people, (5) how students used community literacy practices to position themselves and others. The student's definitions of personhood changed. The established field of intertextual semantic potentials was influenced by changes in literacy practices that led to changes in literacy practices that led to changes in the students' definitions of writing, their views about themselves and life in the community. Literacy practices established in the writing project built on ones students encountered as they researched their communities. Community members shared ways of acting for social justice, including the importance of reclaiming cultural heritage, learning history from the community's perspective, analyzing multiple forms of oppression. Students' ethnographic research helped them reflect on their communities by enhancing their understanding of the cultural dynamics in which they live. Students recreated methods and theoretical frameworks to address the issue of personhood as students, as community members, and as ethnographers of their own communities.

Most Haitians in the U.S. area have immigrated over the past three decades, with the largest number of arrival coming in the late 1970's through the mid 1980's. Boston has one of the largest Haitian student populations in the U.S. following Miami and New York City. The purpose of this study was to determine the status of English language development among Haitian immigrant ninth graders participating in Boston's transitional bilingual education. Two major research questions guided this study: (1) What is the effectiveness of oral English language-use among ninth grade Haitian immigrant students in selected bilingual classrooms? (2) What is the effectiveness of English reading among ninth grade Haitian immigrant students in selected bilingual classrooms? Three High schools with transitional bilingual education programs totalling ninety-one Haitian ninth grade students participated in the study. Twenty five students were randomly selected as subjects for the study. A pre- and post-test comparison and an analysis of students' oral and reading scores were done to obtain a preliminary quantifiable impression of the students' growth in English language development over a period of time. Using Halliday's (1973) seven functions of language, classroom observations of students oral English language-use were recorded and analyzed to determine the students' ability to communicate effectively in different classroom contexts. Miscue analyses through a series of reading activities were performed to provide valuable insights into the nature of the reading process and gain appreciation for readers' strengths as well as weaknesses. Over three hundred and fifty hours of classroom observations and reading miscue activities with (N = 25) Haitian immigrant ninth graders reveal that subjects do not differ markedly in their oral and reading effectiveness in English. Although individual differences among subjects in oral and reading effectiveness existed; however, only a minority of students (N = 5/25) in (oral language) and (N = 1/4) in reading did not show positive gains in language effectiveness. Overall, many of the subjects show positive gains in English. Thus, they have the ability to use oral and reading English effectively to succeed academically.

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<p> This thesis draws from developments in Jungian thought, somatic and mindfulness-based therapeutic modalities, and interpersonal neurobiology to examine the cultural layer of the unconscious and the complexes that operate therein in their relevance to clinical work. Using hermeneutic and heuristic methodologies, it argues for the development of awareness in the clinician of culturally rooted complexes as they manifest in the clinical moment, and the importance of recognizing, accepting, and working with the defenses around these complexes. The importance of therapeutic work from a somatic and mindfulness-oriented approach is discussed, drawing from the theory and practice of Hakomi and the Re-Creation of the Self Model of Human Systems, as grounded in interpersonal neurobiology and complementary to aspects of Jungian theory.</p>

<p> Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale: A Validation Study The purpose of the current study was to explore the validity of the Gender Identity Counselor Competency Scale, a measure meant to examine counselor competency for working with clients identifying as trans*. A national sample of counseling students and faculty accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling &amp; Related Programs (CACREP) was obtained. The data from 187 participants were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis during the first phase of data analysis. After extraction, two items were removed from the measure and it was renamed GICCS-Revised (GICCS-R). Three factors emerged from analysis and supported the tripartite model for multicultural counseling competencies and these factors were labeled knowledge, awareness, and skills. High internal consistency was found and evidence convergent validity was observed. Some evidence for discriminant validity was found. During the second phase of data analysis, analysis of covariance was used to explore mean differences among levels of education on overall GICCS-R scores as well as the subscale scores, while controlling for social desirability. There were group differences on the overall and subscale scores, with the exception of the awareness subscale. A hierarchal multiple regression was conducted to determine whether a set of variables (social desirability, levels of education, number of workshops attended or facilitated, and number of trans*-identified clients worked with) could predict scores on the overall GICCS-R and each subscale. The variables combined explained 45.5% of the variance on overall GICCS-R scores. Social desirability was not a significant predictor of scores. First year counseling master&rsquo;s students; participants who attended or facilitated 0-4 workshops; and participants who worked with 0-1 clients were significant predictors of low overall competency scores. Levels of education and levels of experience explained a significant proportion of the variance on the knowledge and skills subscales, but not on the awareness subscale. The findings from the current study have important implications for how trans* counselor competency is measured in students and faculty. The findings also have implications for ways to improve levels competency.</p>

<p>The primary goal of this study is to explore and learn about the life experience of undocumented college students in California. The researcher was interested in learning about identity, stressors, barriers, fears, mental health, strengths, motivation, college life and migrating experience. Furthermore, this study sought to learn about the impact and changes the California Dream Act (CA Dream Act), AB 540 and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) have produced for the current population of undocumented college students in California. The researcher conducted an online questionnaire and had a total of 17 participants. The findings revealed that respondents fear the loss of programs like DACA and continue facing an uncertain future in the United States. In addition, the researcher learned that undocumented children are aware of their undocumented legal status during their primary education years. The study also suggests that participants&rsquo; mental health has been impacted significantly by the barriers and fears associated with their legal status. Future research should focus on the long-term mental health effects that an undocumented legal status can have on an individual, thus examining the effects it places on the mental health and criminal justice system. Additionally, the researcher recommends that future studies examine how programs like DACA are changing undocumented immigrant identity, specifically, addressing how policy can impact an individual&rsquo;s identity. </p>

<p> The demographic composition of the American classroom reflects the diversity of society as a whole. The cultural, language, and ethnic diversity of students is often celebrated, but it also presents challenges for educators responsible for providing instruction for the students. The purpose of this study is to explore the ways in which some educators have prepared to address language diversity and the strategies and techniques they have used to create equitable learning environments for English Language Learners (ELLs). </p><p> A comparative case study was conducted to gain insight into the characteristics of an equitable environment for ELLs and the practices school principals, English as a Second Language (ESOL) teachers, and regular education teachers use to foster and create equitable learning environment. Data were collected through individual interviews and document reviews of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and the Title I plan of each school site. Analysis of data resulted in four premises. Characteristics of equitable environments for ELLs create a sense of belonging for students and their families and increase engagement. Equitable environments offer professional respect and support for teachers and include respect for student and family learning opportunities. Outcomes for ELL student improve when deliberate strategies to provide access to resources and the curriculum are in place. Ultimately, equitable environments empower ELL students, their families, and educators to fully participate in the teaching and learning process and support the improvement of outcomes for all students. </p>

<p> The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2006) set a precedent that established even higher expectations for all students, including those with disabilities. More recently, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers developed a common set of state standards for proficiency in English language arts and mathematics known as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2010). The CCSS in mathematics define and detail the content expectations and standards for mathematical practices for grades K-12. Their intent is to provide a rigorous, focused, and structured set of standards to prepare students in the 21^st century to be college and career ready upon exiting the high school system. To meet these increased expectations, this investigation sought to determine the effects of peer-mediated schema based instruction on the number of correct steps of a task analysis to solve the <i>change</i> problem type of mathematical word problems with middle school students with moderate/severe intellectual disabilities (MS/ID). Additionally, this study investigated the effects of peer-mediated schema based instruction on the number of correct mathematical problems solved, the ability of students with MS/ID to discriminate between addition and subtraction in word problems for the <i>change</i> problem type, and if students with MS/ID were able to generalize the learned mathematical skills to an unfamiliar peer. Finally, this study examined the effects of peer-mediated instruction on both tutors&rsquo; and tutees&rsquo; social attitudes and perceptions of one another before and after the study was completed. The findings of this study demonstrated a functional relation between peer-mediated schema-based instruction (SBI) on the number of correct steps of a task analysis. Results also provided several implications for practice, offers suggestions for future research in this area, and discusses the social and academic benefits of using peer-mediated instruction for students with MS/ID.</p>