A large majority of research portrays the achievement gap as an outcome and a primary focus of what is wrong in American schools when instead it is a symptom of a larger issue. Defining the problem in education in terms of achievement ignores a much more pervasive issue, which is an understanding of the causes behind these results. Studies of the achievement gap commonly result in looking at the individual, ignoring structural and systematic inequities and limitations, that promote deficit thinking. Early research into the achievement gap believed that family background was the strongest indicator of achievement. Educators widely accepted this theory and believed that schools could do little to assist Black students to be successful. But these beliefs are now understood to be heavily entrenched in deficit thinking, perpetuating structural inequalities, and the consequences have been educators who have largely bypassed the needs of Black male students for decades. Deficit thinking and institutional racism is an underlying factor in lagging achievement because the result is an education that lacks rigor and has lower expectations, which is detrimental to Black students. Research exists on teacher perception of students identifying deficit thinking, but there is no research on assistant principals, who are arguably one of the most influential persons for at-risk students, therefore, as in the case of this study, for Black males. Perceptions of Black males inside and outside of school may impact the decision-making process by which assistant principals perform their administrative functions. This study examines the role these perceptions play by White male assistant principals in the lives of Black males, and in so doing, this study examines institutional racism in schools, leadership, and achievement. Results of this study show assistant principals never cited school leadership, teachers, or policies as having an impact on Black male students, thereby illustrating their lack of consciousness of institutional racism. By comparing the results of this study to historical and current research, the results show that White assistant principals act upon outdated and deficit understandings of Black males, and this which contributes to the structural inequalities that limit opportunities for students of color.

The thesis investigates deliberateness in water allocation to historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs) through a water infrastructure development project, the Great Letaba River Water Development Project (GleWaP) within a context of water allocation reform (WAR). WAR is a programme set to redress past discriminatory laws and practices in the allocation of water in South Africa and seeks to address racial and gender inequalities inherited from past political epochs. The study interrogates the concept of individual water rights for women in a context where the collective is prioritised over the individual. The qualitative study uses data collected from 73 participants using interviews, two focus group discussions and surveys. John Rawls’ theory of distributive justice and Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction theory are applied to interrogate water allocation discourses and processes to understand whether genuine justice can be achieved through water allocation reform. The study is set within the critical social theory paradigm where the interlinkages between power, politics, race and gender are interrogated in search of social justice. Study findings reveal that the intentions of WAR as articulated in the goals are far from achievable with other variables such as land ownership still to be addressed. After several years, WAR remains steeped in theoretical rhetoric while lacking in practicality, as victims of past discriminatory practices still have no access to water resources, while legislation continues to protect and benefit a minority. The study identifies deficit thinking as one of the challenges in the implementation of the reform strategy. It concludes that the water allocation reform strategy does not break away from colonial and apartheid concerns for white beneficiaries as there does not seem to be a deliberate attempt to allocate water to predominantly black historically disadvantaged individuals. The thesis thus recommends measurable outcomes for water allocation reform, development of a vibrant black rural water economy, and the use of expropriation of water as a measure to speed up water reform. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Anthropology and Archaeology / PhD / Restricted

The beliefs that teachers have about teaching and learning have an influence on the practices that teachers implement. This is particularly relevant, although not exclusively, to teaching practices that meet the needs of Māori students in our bicultural learning environments of New Zealand. There is a growing amount of research to support the use of student voice data, the benefits of which can be seen at a school level, at the classroom teacher level as well as for the individual students themselves. This research project focused on exploring the impact of students sharing their thoughts and opinions about their learning, (i.e.: student voice data) on influencing teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning. In doing so it explores effective facilitation of this process in a bicultural learning environment. In particular it investigates the potential of a combination of specific tools, notably student focus groups and coaching conversations with teachers to influence teachers’ beliefs. This study took place in two low decile schools in Christchurch. It involved focus groups of Māori and non-Māori primary-aged students, alongside teacher reflective interviews being conducted on repeated visits. Its findings identified approaches for accessing authentic student voice in a bicultural learning environment. The thoughts and opinions shared by Māori students highlighted a focus on their own learning as well as celebrating their culture. Teachers reacted to student voice by making connections to their classroom programmes, and by accepting or dismissing more provocative statements. These reactions by teachers helped emphasize the most helpful methods for reflecting on this data. Their reflections, used alongside a specially designed ‘Teacher Belief Gathering Tool’, ascertained that teachers’ beliefs were both reaffirmed and changed through guided reflection and coaching conversations on student voice data. Teachers’ knowledge of effective teaching and learning, their motivation for changing their teaching practices, as well as witnessing success were all considerable factors in teachers changing their beliefs.

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District and campus leaders face enormous challenges as they try to address the ever-widening achievement gap. With increased accountability, the achievement gap-- which exists between students of color and students of poverty and their White, middleclass counterparts--is becoming impossible to ignore. Nationally, demographics are shifting toward a society of color and school campuses are following suit. Students are not getting easier to educate. Yet while schools across the nation bemoan their student populations as 'hard to educate,' there are some notable districts consistently having success with these student populations. However, there is almost no research on these schools. Their successes are nearly unknown to the educational world. Therefore, this study sought to examine the practices utilized on these campuses and the role of district and campus leadership in guiding the teachers of these student populations. The theoretical framework was the deficit-thinking paradigm and the Effective Schools Correlates. The study investigated schools that (1) earned high ratings in their state accountability system (2) named Blue Ribbon Schools and (3) were Title I award winning schools because they had gone from low performing schools with few systems in place to high performing schools with many systems in place. The study focused on the Area Superintendent of Area 10 and two elementary principals. This study was a mix method qualitative and quantitative study that involved only one urban school district: Martin Luther King Independent School District, one of the fifteen largest districts in the southwest part of the United States. This was a case study, which is an intensive description and analysis of a phenomenon or social unit such as an individual, group, institution, or community. The case is a bounded, integrated system (Stake, 1995; Merriam, 1998). Data collection included interviews, observations, and a reflective journal. Findings revealed that there are six prongs these schools had in common to go from low performing to high performing schools as well as earn distinction and awards. Acquiring these six prongs is called Creating a Culture of Success for Students of Color and Students of Poverty. There are also six conditions that permeate low performing schools; these schools once had these conditions on their campuses, but overcame them to become high performing. These conditions are called the Labyrinth of Solitude for Students of Color and Students of Poverty. As school districts and schools attempt to create a culture of accountability where high expectations and a sense of urgency prevail--conditions necessary to close the achievement gap and move from the deficit-thinking paradigm and its deleterious impact on achievement toward the Normed-Opportunity Paradigm--universities and school districts can use this research data to help superintendents, central office personnel, campus principals, teachers, as well as prospective teachers and administrators to move schools and school districts forward and help close the achievement gap. / text

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This qualitative study described four testimonios from Chicanas who have successfully completed a doctorate in education degree, both Ph.D. and Ed.D. The literature reviewed three important areas of study. The first is a review of the systemic challenges that Chicanas must hurdle; cheap labor, segregation of schools and neighborhoods, being silenced through English-only education, and deficit thinking. The second area of review focused on ways that Chicanas create strategies for success to overcome these challenges. The third was a review of the theoretical literature through a distinctly and relevant Chicana feminist lens. Chicanas’ strategies for success were collected as testimonios. These lived stories are shared using a narrative approach and were analyzed through a Chicana feminist lens, allowing the researcher to connect with indigenous roots. Findings include cultural intuition, reflexión, máscaras, nepantla, and La Virgen de Guadalupe as themes that enable an understanding of the strategies used by these successful women. This study sought to understand how gender and race impact graduate scholarship among a unique population and adds to the body of knowledge on doctoral education and Latina (specifically Chicana) education in particular.

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