Browsing by Author "Jones, Asia Roche'"

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    Practices and Procedures that Influence African-American Males to Drop Out from Public School
    Jones, Asia Roche' (Virginia Tech, 2011-03-28)
    The African-American male national on-time graduation rate data are evidence that systemic changes must occur to address the academic failure they experience. A significant gap in achievement exists when compared to the on-time graduation rate of their White male peers. It is possible that some students do not graduate on-time due to retention that may occur after they have entered the ninth grade. The African-American male students in this study failed to graduate on-time because they did not persist to successfully complete their twelfth grade year; instead, they dropped out. While factors associated with societal issues and familial dynamics contribute to this problem, factors associated with public school practices and procedures are the focus of this study. The educational records of 125 African-American male high school dropouts were analyzed to identify school factors that may explain why they did not persist to graduate. These students dropped out from an urban school division in Virginia during the 2009 and 2010 school years.  A mixed methods approach was used to answer the research questions posed in this study. The conceptual framework, a road map for the study, proposes discipline sanctions, curriculum programming, instructional experiences and school relationships as factors for review. Quantitative research methods were used to analyze longitudinal data and qualitative methods were used to analyze survey data on student perception of teacher relationships. Findings from the study will enable school principals, counselors and teachers to make informed instructional decisions that may prevent African-American males from dropping out of one urban school division in Virginia. While not generalizable to all school settings, strategies associated with discipline sanctions, curriculum programming, instructional experiences and school relationships are provided.
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    Preparing and Supporting Black Students to Enroll and Achieve in Advanced Mathematics Classes in Middle School: A Case Study
    Cobbs, Joyce Bernice (Virginia Tech, 2015-01-13)
    The literature on minority student achievement indicates that Black students are underrepresented in advanced mathematics courses. Advanced mathematics courses offer students the opportunity to engage with challenging curricula, experience rigorous instruction, and interact with quality teachers. The middle school years are particularly significant for mathematics education since the courses students pursue during those years affect later access to rigorous mathematics coursework at the high school level as well as college and career readiness. This case study examined factors that affected Black student achievement in advanced mathematics classes at one middle school. Data included interviews of school personnel, on-site observations, and school-related document analysis. Six major themes that affected student achievement in advanced mathematics classes emerged from the data: (a) mathematics placement innovations, (b) cultural shift towards increased rigor, (c) culture of high expectations, (d) culture of continuous learning, (e) data sharing, and (f) perceived barriers to enrollment. The conceptual framework of Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, and Easton (2010) was used to identify and explain the relationships among these categories. This case study highlighted key district and school individuals who initiated and implemented the wave of changes regarding mathematics placement and teaching that occurred over a four-year period. The study also identified barriers that seemed to impede Black student enrollment in such classes. The findings illustrated how concerted efforts provided students with a challenging curriculum, thus, increasing access to advanced mathematics classes for all students. Policies and practices that lifted all students had a positive effect for Black students.