HIGH SCHOOL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS by Virginia Rae Hill Bachelor of Science, Geneva College, 1990 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Education University of Pittsburgh 2014 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF EDUCATION This dissertation was presented by Virginia R Hill It was defended on September 15, 2014 and approved by Maureen McClure, PhD, Professor William Bickel, PhD, Professor William Englert Jr., EdD Michael Gunzenhauser, PhD, Professor Christine White-Taylor, EdD Thesis Director/Dissertation Advisor: Maureen McClure, PhD, Faculty ii Copyright © by Virginia Rae Hill 2014 iii HIGH SCHOOL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS Virginia Rae Hill, EdD University of Pittsburgh, 2014 The cry continues with A Nation at Risk, No Child Left Behind, and now the Common Core State Standards There are groups of students who are finding success within public education and groups who are not The groups who are not finding this success continue to be minority students who continue to run into the public education system rather than running with it African American males seem to experience running into the system at greater number than other racial and gender groups However, there are African American males that are finding success in public education This study looks at the schooling and educational perspectives of twenty-four African American male K-12 public education students Using grades and standardized assessments as a criterion, fifteen of the students were considered academically successful and nine were not Twenty-two of the males were 18 years of age and two were 12 years old Nineteen participants were high school seniors, one was a sophomore, and two were in middle school Looking through the lenses of Critical Race Theory and Resiliency Theory using qualitative inquiry and data derived from interviews, data was collected to determine what contributed to the success of some participants First both successful and non-successful groups were able to speak about having goals for the future and the importance of working hard in school Secondly, relationships were also seen as essential to academic success, whether these iv relationships were with parents, teachers, or mentors for academic success to occur Racial stereotypes were seen as something to overcome by the academically success Race was viewed as a road block difficult to overcome by less successful participants Having a father and mother or frequent access to more than one caring adult increased an African American male’s ability to be academically successful Even having two parents that may not have been supportive of the African American male appeared to be more beneficial than having supportive friends Recommendations to help African American males to be academically successful include starting early with relationship support and mentoring, life skills courses, and increased interaction with successful African American males v TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE XVII 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 1.2 SIGNIFCANCE AND NEED FOR THIS STUDY 2.0 1.2.1 Purpose of the Study 1.2.2 Research Questions 1.2.3 Theoretical Frameworks: Critical Race Theory and Resiliency Theory 10 1.2.4 Research Design 13 1.2.5 Summary 17 LITERATURE REVIEW 19 2.1 THEORIES 20 2.2 CRITICAL RACE THEORY 20 2.2.1 Critical Race Theory Definition 21 2.2.2 Critical Race Theory Tenets 23 2.2.3 The Counter Narrative and Achievement 24 2.2.4 The Permanence of Racism 25 2.2.5 Whiteness as Property 26 2.2.6 Effort vs School Structure 28 vi 2.3 2.2.7 Critique of Liberalism 33 2.2.8 Interest Conversion 34 2.2.9 Critical Race Theory Summary 34 2.2.10 Summary 35 RESILIENCY THEORY 37 2.3.1 Positive Relationships 38 2.3.2 Problem Solving Skills 39 2.3.3 Autonomy 40 2.3.4 Sense of Purpose and Future 40 2.3.5 Challenging the Deficit Model 41 2.3.6 Resiliency and Achievement 42 2.3.7 Summary of Resiliency 43 2.4 DEFICIT MODELS 45 2.5 THE IMPACT OF RELATIONSHIPS 46 2.5.1 Parents/Families 47 2.5.2 Parent/School Relationships 49 2.5.3 School Impact 51 2.5.4 Mentors … 58 2.5.5 Relationship Impact Summary 60 2.6 GIFTED AND POST-SECONDARY AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES 63 2.7 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW 65 3.0 METHODOLOGY 71 3.1 QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY 72 vii 3.1.1 As a researcher, what are the hypotheses? 73 3.1.2 As a researcher, what are the ontological and epistemological beliefs? 73 3.1.3 From what particular qualitative research paradigm will this study operate from? 74 3.1.4 What is the appropriate qualitative research approach to take based on the ontological and epistemological beliefs and research paradigm? 75 3.2 4.0 METHOD 77 3.2.1 Exploratory Research 80 3.2.2 Participant Selection 84 3.2.3 Data Collection 87 3.2.4 Data Analysis 91 3.2.5 The Role of the Researcher 93 3.2.6 Ethical Considerations 94 3.2.7 Methods Summary 95 ANALYSIS 96 4.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 97 4.2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 97 4.3 INTERVIEW PROCESS 98 4.4 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 99 4.5 SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SCHOOL PROFILES 100 4.5.1 Terminology 100 4.5.2 School A 103 4.5.3 School B 103 viii 4.5.4 School C 104 4.5.5 School D 105 4.5.6 School E 106 4.5.7 School F 106 4.5.8 School G 107 4.5.9 School H 108 4.6 STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS 110 4.7 DATA 112 4.8 4.7.1 Interview Questions 112 4.7.2 Success in School by Grade Point Average 114 ANALYSIS OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 116 4.8.1 4.9 Demographics 118 RESEARCH QUESTION ONE: FACTORS, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS FOR SUCCESS 119 4.10 4.9.1 Systems Knowledge 119 4.9.2 Academically Successful Others 122 4.9.3 Success Difference by Gender 124 4.9.4 Success Difference by Race 126 4.9.5 Behaviors for Success Summary 129 RESEARCH QUESTION TWO: ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS BY GRADE POINT AVERAGE 130 4.10.1 African American Male Perspectives of Success 130 4.10.2 Analysis of African American Male Perspectives 132 ix 4.10.2.1 Describe a Successful Male 133 4.10.2.2 What does he do? 134 4.10.2.3 How does he act? 134 4.10.2.4 What other students think of him? 135 4.10.2.5 How does he interact with adults? 136 4.10.2.6 Describe his social life 137 4.10.3 Attitude 138 4.10.3.1 What is your attitude toward success? 138 4.10.3.2 Attitude Definition 141 4.10.3.3 When did you develop this attitude? 143 4.10.3.4 How has this attitude helped you? 144 4.10.3.5 Who helped you develop this attitude? 146 4.10.4 4.11 Attitude Summary 148 RESEARCH QUESTION THREE: SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES 150 4.11.1 Relationships 150 4.11.1.1 Who should academic success be shared with? 150 4.11.1.2 What you get from sharing academic success? 153 4.11.1.3 Are there any problems with being academically successful? 155 4.11.1.4 Sacrifices for Success 159 4.11.1.5 Who African American males go to for support? 162 4.11.1.6 Are you Academically Successful? 164 4.11.1.7 What you contribute your success to? 166 x