Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2008, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

This exploratory and descriptive study illuminates the lives of African American female teachers who lived in the upper Ohio River Valley between 1875 and 1915. Existing current research depicts teachers in the South and urban North during this period. This study highlights teachers from northern, small to midsized cities in order to bring them into the historical record and direct attention to their contributions to education. The focus of this historical, intrinsic, embedded, single-case case study was on the social profile, educational opportunities, teaching experiences, and support networks of Pocahontas Simmons Peyton, Susie Simmons (Jones?), Bernadine Peyton Sherman, Mary Peyton Dyson, Anna Stevens Posey, and Elizabeth Jennie Adams Carter. Three additional themes emerged from the data. They involved inconsistent community attitudes, male-defined perspectives, and multigenerational connections and successes.The case for this study was bounded by time, place, race, gender, and occupation. The units of analysis were selected from a pool of 27 names using the maximum-variation purposeful sampling method. The central research question asked how the women operated within the educational systems of the three-state area of western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and southeastern Ohio. The researcher employed multiple methods of data collection in order to triangulate the data and provide rich description of the women within the context of the bounded system. The findings suggest that these women were part of a tradition of exemplary service to education. Although they were unique, these women shared characteristics with teachers in other areas of the country. With one exception, they worked in segregated schools with poor to adequate resources. Each woman had a range of educational options open to her, but not all options were available in each location. The women were skilled at using support networks and their own abilities to navigate within the educational (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2014, Leadership Studies

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of race in the implementation of education reform through organizing strategies. This study examines the experiences of nine African American community leaders from Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit in their endeavors to lead education reform. More specifically, this work examines the tradition of racial solidarity as an organizing strategy for change in the African American community. Three research questions guided this study: To what extent does race impact African American leaders' implementation of education organizing? What influence does intragroup vs. intergroup ties have on leaders in education organizing efforts? To what extent do African American community leaders rely on calls for racial solidarity in their efforts to transform schools? A phenomenological approach was used to answer this study's research questions. Phenomenology describes the meaning of a group of individuals lived experiences of a concept or phenomenon. Using a phenomenological lens, I analyzed individual experiences to uncover the universal essence of how African American community leaders understand and experience education organizing. During my conversations with leaders, I learned that race: (a) affirmed many leaders ability to lead within their communities (b) was essential to the understanding of how to navigate school bureaucracy and empathize with the experiences of their constituents (c) framed the type of educational issues respondents' communities face and (d) influenced how communities are engaged in the educational change process.

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2009, Educational Leadership

Many Americans in the nineteenth century argued for limited education for blacks –or no education at all for African Americans in the south. As a result, black churches took up the role and pushed for education as a means to liberate African Americans. The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church stands as a good exemplar for a black denomination that explicitly expressed in their policies that they understood the connection of education to African American liberation. This study is a historical analysis of the AME Church's advocacy of African American empowerment through education from 1816 to 1893. In the AME Church's nineteenth century doctrinal statements and publications the leaders explicitly stated that education was a necessary component for black liberation. In this dissertation I argue that, although there were other organizations that pushed for African American education in the nineteenth century, the African Methodist Episcopal Church stood at the fore in advocating for education and connecting it to African American liberation. My primary question is: How did the AME Church connect their advocacy for black education to liberation for African Americans in the nineteenth century? The dissertation will explore two aspects of liberation in the nineteenth century. During the first half of the nineteenth century–from the AME Church's founding in 1816 through the end of the Civil war in 1865 –the Church worked toward a liberation that was focused on the abolition of slavery and overcoming racial oppression. In the latter half of the nineteenth century from 1865 to 1893 –with the death of Bishop Payne– the AME Church focused on a liberation that was geared toward the notions of uplift and self-agency within the black community, namely black social, economic, and political advancement. The last chapter will examine how this historical analysis has implications for transforming African American education in present times. The text will examine the black chu (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Music

This dissertation aims to explore and describe, in ethnographic terms, some of the principal formal and non-formal environments in which jazz music is learned today. By elucidating the broad aesthetic, stylistic, and social landscapes of present-day jazz pedagogy, it seeks to encourage the revitalization and reorientation of jazz education, and of the cultural spaces in which it takes place. Although formal learning environments have increasingly supported the activities of the jazz community, I argue that this development has also entailed a number of problems, notably a renewal of racial tensions spurred on by 1) the under-representation of non-white students and faculty, especially black Americans; 2) the widespread adoption of 'color-blind' methodologies in formal music-learning environments, which serve to perpetuate ambivalence or apathy in the addressing of racial problems; 3) a failure adequately to address cultural studies related to the black heritage of jazz music; and 4) the perpetuation of a narrow vision of jazz music that privileges certain jazz styles, neglects others, and fails to acknowledge the representative intersections between jazz and related forms of black music. The study seeks to answer two main questions: What is the nature of the twenty-first-century learning environment? Moreover, how do cultural and racial dynamics affect the ways in which jazz is taught and understood in formal and non-formal settings? My proposition is that teaching jazz as a part of a broad spectrum of black musical styles and cultural traditions, which I shall call the black musical continuum, provides solutions for the dearth of cultural competency and narrow vision of jazz found in many learning environments. Through a continuum theory, I seek to provide a framework for viewing, teaching, learning, and performing jazz that situates it within the larger socio-cultural context of black American music. I argue that such a reorientation toward African-American cu (open full item for complete abstract)

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2015, Leadership and Change

This study is a leadership biography which provides, through the lens of Black feminist thought, an alternative view and understanding of the leadership of Black women. Specifically, this analysis highlights ways in which Black women, frequently not identified by the dominant society as leaders, have and can become leaders. Lessons are drawn from the life of Anna Julia Cooper that provides new insights in leadership that heretofore were not evident. Additionally, this research offers provocative recommendations that provide a different perspective of what leadership is among Black women and how that kind of leadership can inform the canon of leadership. Cooper's voice in advocacy, education, community service, and involvement in the Black Women's Club Movement are the major themes in which evidence of her leadership is defined. This leadership biography moves beyond the western hegemonic point of view and the more traditional ways of thinking about leadership, which narrowly identify effective leaders and ways of thinking about leadership development. The findings of this study propose an alternative view of leadership that calls attention to the following critical elements: 1. Black women carry the co-identifers, gender and race, which continue to be nearly nonexistent in leadership theories, discourse, and mainstream leadership literature. 2. The positivist view, as being the only legitimate knowledge claim, must continue to be challenged. 3. There is a need to correct and update our history, making it more inclusive of all human beings. This leadership biography centers on the notion that Cooper, as a quintessential leader, remains paradoxical. For the most part, she continues to be an unknown figure to most Americans, both Black and White. Yet, remnants of Cooper's ideology and leadership are prolific. It is precisely this dissonance between Cooper the undervalued figure and Cooper the scholar/activist leader that is being analyzed in this study. Under (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2014, African-American and African Studies

This thesis examines the complex sociocultural dynamics that surround the concept of jazz theory from two broad perspectives: formalized or academic jazz theory, which emerged as a result of the formal institutionalization of jazz in the academy, and organic or intrinsic jazz theory, which first arose from African American music-making practices. This dichotomy does not suggest that the majority of jazz community members exist at the extremes of either of these two poles. Contrarily, most musicians tend to occupy the grey area somewhere in between. The aim of this study was to shed light on the complex and elusive intersection between formalized and organic approaches to jazz theory. Through an analysis of informal, formal, and virtual (internet-based) jazz music-learning environments, the results offer a thick description of the way in which notions of "jazz theory" affected the social lives of musicians, fostered racialized jazz identities, defined community boundaries, and influenced music-making practices. The paper includes a variety of case studies, such as Miles Davis' experience studying music at Julliard, an analysis of the first methodological theory books published for jazz students and educators, online forums where jazz students discuss music theory, and ethnographic data related to modern day jazz theory that I collected from nonacademic and academic jazz learning environments. Two theory-related books examined included George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept and David Baker's Jazz Pedagogy: A Comprehensive Method of Jazz Education for Teacher and Student. In both, the cultural contexts in which the works were created and how many students and educators misinterpreted or omitted elements that reflect the tabooed subject of race were considered. The study also relied on original ethnographic content collected during a field study at a Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop, a racially charged debate between two Aebersold camp attendees, a meeting wi (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2012, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

The purpose of this study is to depict the personal narrative of African American women as central to understanding how life experiences, gender, race and culture intersect to impact their educational expectations. To establish context, the broader purpose of this study is to understand the belief system and ideologies African Americans as a cultural group associate with education. Cultural group beliefs are important to address as these beliefs may factor into the motivation, efficacy and human agency of African American women who attain graduate degrees.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Education : Educational Studies

This research examines the educational perceptions of fifteen African American college students who completed a course that used critical race pedagogy as a means to raise consciousness. African American traditional faith in post-secondary education has maintained its resiliency for decades, as demonstrated in the increasing numbers of African American students' matriculation into historically white post secondary institutions throughout the country. Overshadowing the increased matriculation patterns is the reality that many more African American students simply vanish from the post-secondary pipeline. The racialized experiences of African Americans have led to a unique perception of education which reflects the pervasiveness of duality as a residual concept of false consciousness. The dialectical paradox of duality is exacerbated and institutionalized by mechanistic skill development which limits the potentiality of higher levels of awareness. As a result, African American students may begin their post-secondary studies objectified by the overvaluation of education as a direct pathway toward liberation. To resist the recidivism of duality African American college students must experience a type of psyche liberation through transformative skill development. The engagement of African American students in such a transformative process requires the re-conceptualization of education as an articulation of resistance. Education conceptualized as an articulation of resistance utilizes critical race pedagogical techniques and strategies to destabilize taken-for-granted educational perceptions and reconstruction of critical educational perceptions which increases the likelihood of college graduation.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

While Perkins V legislation and newer career and technical education programs were designed to prepare students for success in both college and career pathways and modern career and technical education programs are supposed to expand college and career readiness outcomes for students, there is a lack of research examining supports that promote the academic engagement and success of Black male students in high school career academies. Career academies are a type of high school reform initiative that is designed to prepare students for college and careers in career fields such as engineering and informing technology (Fletcher & Tan, 2022; Fletcher et al., 2018). In the 1970s, career academies were designed as career-oriented schools that delivered college preparatory instructional curriculum, and operated as smaller schools within larger schools (ACTE, 2019; NAF, 2023). Comprehensive school reform efforts like career academies are likely to ensure that Black male students are prepared for college and careers with personalized resources and services such as trade and apprenticeship pathways, work-based learning, early career exploration, guidance counseling, and college-level examination programs. In this study, I described the need for research to examine college and career readiness of high school Black male students at a NAF (formerly known as the National Foundation Academy) Academy of Engineering. I utilized the theoretical frameworks of college and career ready by Stone and Lewis (2012) and culturally relevant pedagogy by Ladson-Billings (1992) to review the research questions, background of the problem, problem statement, purpose statement, and significance of the study. Since Black males are a vulnerable group of youth with lower academic achievement and performance and barriers to career prospects and access to higher education (Brown et al., 2019; Hines et al., 2014; Wright, 2019), I explored the role of career academies, culturally relevant education for Bla (open full item for complete abstract)

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Arts and Sciences: History

The dissertation illuminates the complex interplay between African American higher education, self-help, gender bias, capitalist exploitation, white supremacy, and politics in the state of North Carolina. At the core of this monograph is an exploration into competing forces between black men and women who led and created opportunities at the higher education institutions and the economic and political agenda of white supremacy. I argue the institutions were built environments for economic and social justice through its curriculum and various social organizations that responded to the local, state, and national issues facing black men and women. I further explore how these leaders' upbringing influenced a curriculum that instilled self-determination and community, which entailed an astute independent citizenry that would create economic and educational opportunities for rural and urban dwellers. Lastly, to retain these institutions, I illuminate how the black leaders used the fear of integration as a tool to garner funds and resources. Overall, the research not only explores how the state institutions were established as a compromise by white democrats seeking to appease African Americans to prevent federal intervention, but how these institutions, in many ways, were dual controlled spaces that allowed the state government to regulate the education and labor of African Americans, while black leaders instilled ideas of racial pride, uplift, and entrepreneurship. For a while, historians have provided studies on black education through a regional analysis, centering their studies mainly on blacks' gains in the South through self-determination, compromise, and accommodation. But because the training focused on agriculture, mechanical, and liberal arts, historians often referred to the ideas, advocacy, and works of Samuel Chapman Armstrong, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B. Du Bois, whose debates without a doubt are pivotal to the study of black education but dismisses (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2018, College of Education and Human Services

This qualitative, ethnographic study explores various tensions and struggles around gender and racial stereotypes that three urban teenage African American girls encounter as they try to develop a sense of oneself as an individual and in relation to the world. The purpose of this study was to explore Black high school girls' experiences in a predominately urban public school in the Midwest. This study is guided by the following research question: In what way do gender and racial bias contribute to the self-perception of African American adolescent girls? Interrogating the multiple standpoints that inform African American female identity and how these multiple perspectives are moderated not only by gender, race, and socioeconomic status, but also by ability and classroom context and their role in influencing academic achievement this study is guided by three sub-questions: 1. How do African American girls' perceptions of themselves and the classroom practices in which they engage inform their in-school identities? 2. How do African American girls' perceptions of themselves and the classroom practices in which they engage inform their out-of- school identities? 3. What are the tools and strategies Black girls use to resist intersecting oppressions in order to persist in these environments? The research design included autoethnographic vignettes, individual interviews (audio), autobiographies and field notes. I conducted four individual interviews with each of the participants in the study. The findings showed that Black girls in predominately urban educational settings are heavily marginalized and both structurally and individually experience various forms of oppression related to race, gender and class inequity. Girls in those settings employ various tactics related to relationships, parental support, social activities, and Black identity as a way to resist oppressions as well as survive in these spaces. Girls display a diverse set of experiences in s (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2014, Educational Administration (Education)

This study explored how nine African American students in secondary-level special education placements perceived their school experiences and the benefits, challenges, and detriments associated with their placements and accompanying disability labels. In examining the experiences of these students, the study focused on the students' interactions with others in the school environment: teachers, peers, counselors, and administrators. The study used the qualitative method of in-depth interviewing to collect data—an approach that incorporated a sequence of three interviews with each student. Participating students attended one of three high schools in an urban district in the Midwestern United States. Respectively the schools had low, medium, and high percentages of students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Three participants came from each of the schools. They met the following criteria: (1) they were African American, (2) they were juniors or seniors, (3) they carried a diagnosis of learning disabilities or mild cognitive impairment, and (4) they had received special education services for at least three years. With transcribed interviews as the source of data, qualitative analysis involved several steps: (1) inductive coding, (2) development of case-specific profiles for participants and schools, (3) organization of codes to identify categories and patterns in the data, and (4) identification of emergent themes through a process of postulating and then testing these potential explanatory patterns. This process of data analysis substantiated two emergent themes. The first is captured in the following statement: "students' journeys from general education to special education had three predictable milestones." And the second is captured in the following statement: "special education was a dead-end." With respect to the first theme, three sub-themes described predictable milestones: (1) placement in special education, (2) initial reaction to placement (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Arts Administration, Education and Policy

There is considerable research on the challenges of public education for African American youth. Such research often paints a dismal picture of African American academic achievement. As a result, it is necessary to take a close look at the innovative education strategies within African American communities that offer a contrasting perspective. Specifically, this research uses Invitational Education Theory (IET), critical participatory action research, Black Feminist Epistemology, and critical multiculturalism to investigate the narratives of African American mothers who homeschool their children and analyze the purpose and outcomes of an African American homeschool cooperative. Families in this study offer insight into how African Americans are instituting change in their homes and communities and bring to light the over-arching challenges many African American families face in traditional education. Their work can inform creative ways to incorporate parents, community, and funds of knowledge into traditional education.

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Xavier University, 2002, Psychology

Current research demonstrates the necessity of social skills development for academic success and positive interpersonal relationships. In the current study, 60 African-American students in three kindergarten classrooms participated in the Social Skills Intervention Program (SSIP; Elliott & Gresham, 1991). Each class was taught a total of 14 skills in a 7-week period. The effectiveness of the program was measured through teachers' ratings of each child on three domains of the Social Skills Rating System andTeacher form (SSRS-T; Gresham & Elliott, 1990) and each student's score on "blue-green-yellow-red" a behavior tracking system employed by the teachers. Participation in the SSIP significantly influenced the students in Class Three's use of social skills and behavior in the classroom. Data analysis showed that, after participation in the SSIP, the children in Class Three significantly improved their scores on the "Social Skills" domain of the SSRS-T, as well as their scores on the "blue-green-yellow-red" system. Possible reasons for the largely nonsignificant results, such as the student population, the students' home and school environments, the SSIP, or a combination of the above, are explored.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

This qualitative study examined the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of twice exceptional African American students in K-12 urban schools. Additionally, this study investigated the experiences of parents and educators in supporting twice exceptional African American students in urban schools. The sample comprised 8 twice exceptional African American students, 3 parents, and 5 educators, all of which came from a large, urban district in the Midwest. Three major themes emerged from the participants’ responses: (a) the significance of labels; (b) social and personal experiences of twice exceptionality; and (c) challenges and strategies in the school environment. Recommendations for educators (e.g., teachers, school counselors, and principals), the district, and parents are included.

Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, 2007, Classroom Teacher

A purposive literature review was used in this study to develop a knowledge base on motivational factors impacting enrollment of African-American students in postsecondary vocational education program specifically in the STEP II program. This study examined books, articles, reports, and data from student interviews to understand what motivational factors influence decisions. It was found that low enrollment of African- American students in post-secondary vocational education is not only dependent on motivational factors emanating from the students themselves, but also stem from the institutions that offer training programs.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

Literature can be defined as a tool for ideological transmission. The exclusion or inclusion of specific topics within classroom discourses reflects the ideologies of the teachers leading the class discussions. One children's literature author popular across generations is Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss. Several educators have published educational materials on the uses of his books in the classroom, in order to promote specific ideological values. Professionals in the field of pedagogy have written about the messages embedded in his texts and have concluded how to best use his books. Scholars and educators have aligned their values with messages from his books like The Sneetches, The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book, in order to promote their own ideologies while teaching reading to their students. The aim of the study was to determine to what extent educators in public schools have used and still use children's literature and the works of Theodor Geisel to transmit ideology to their students. The first part of the study investigated the published works of scholars and educators who have promoted Geisel's books to transmit an ideology to students. The second part of the study examined the teaching practices and philosophies of current teachers in a Midwestern suburban school district in central Ohio. Qualitative inquiries were made, in order to gather information related to the topics of ideological transmission through children's literature and the purposes of children's literature in the reading curriculum. From the study I concluded that a polarity arose within the set of teachers interviewed. Teachers were adamant about what topics of discussion they would and would not allow in their classrooms. Questions from the interviews and the surveys led to two viewpoints about the purpose of children's books in school. On one hand the findings suggest that teachers felt a book's sole purpose is to build cognitive reading skills. They simultaneously, however, oppose (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Art Education

In this case study, I examine the extraordinary work of contemporary artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson and the intersection of my experience as an educator serving as a co-curator for Symphonic Poem, a major retrospective exhibition of her work in 2003. I examine the role of museum educators in developing and presenting exhibitions that empower visitors to discover their own meaning in Aminah's complex and layered work. My examination of the case and my research related to it highlight the challenges and opportunities that face museum educators and all museum workers in an era when museums are examining their relevancy as they compete with all types of cultural and commercial events and venues for people's time and attention. This collaboration between a curator of contemporary art and an educator provides an alternative approach to traditional museum practices and organizational structures and raises important questions concerning the training and practice of museum professionals. In addition to examining the role of museum educators in exhibitions, this work presents strategies to encourage K-12 students and visitors of all ages to critically confront issues of identity, race, and oppression that hover just below the rich patterns and button-encrusted surface of Aminah's work. In the world the artist has created, being black is the norm, but everyone is invited to participate by sharing their memories, stories, and dreams. Art like that of Aminah Robinson helps to fill in the gaps that the modern museum created in regard to marginalizing and ignoring the voices of women and minorities. Educators in the post-museum can become border-crossers themselves in creating exhibitions, linking them with a broad range of communities, and encouraging visitors to become border-crossers as well.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2012, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the experiences of African American seventh-grade male students in an Afrocentric school located in Columbus, Ohio. This school's curriculum was based on the principles of Nguzo Saba and Ma'at from an African-centered perspective. The researcher investigated how these principles influenced the self-concept of African American seventh-grade male students based on the principles of Nguzo Saba, self-esteem based on the principles of Ma'at, and how both sets of principles influenced racial identity development. It was presumed that these principles assisted African American students in becoming well-rounded and grounded in their ancestral history, culture, values, and traditions, thus developing a positive sense of self. Although there had been numerous studies in the field of Afrocentric education, there was a lack of research that had examined the principles of Nguzo Saba and Ma'at together, which served as a foundation for Afrocentric education, or its influence on African American students, particularly adolescent male students. This was a qualitative research approach, specifically, a phenomenological case study, which was limited in scope to African American seventh-grade male students. The researcher employed qualitative methods of documentation and school observation. These included two focus groups of African American seventh-grade male students and interviews with their teachers, the school's principals, council of elders/committee members, and parents. There were three streams of classes: all males, all females, males and females; observations focused on the stream of all-male classes. Data were collected over a nine-month period. The data collected were analyzed in comparison to literature reviewed. The study used Cross' 1971 racial-identity model and Delgado and Stefancic's 2001 critical-race theory as the frameworks. The purpose was to examine the particular stage to which participants usually related in d (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Higher Education (Education)

As the gender discrepancy in African American postsecondary participation continues to increase, it is imperative to find a solution to this mounting issue. Over the past several decades increased attention has been given to African American students, particularly the African American male population; however research regarding the influence of academic expectations, scholastic behaviors, and environmental climates on their postsecondary enrollment is limited. The principal question that this study sought to examine is whether or not academic expectations, scholastic behaviors, school climate and neighborhood crime predict African American students' postsecondary participation. Furthermore, the study sought to investigate what, if any, gender differences exist in the analysis. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and logistic regression were used to examine this phenomenon. This study found that academic expectations, scholastic behaviors and the level of crime present in an individuals' neighborhood helps to predict postsecondary participation for African American students.