Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2019, College of Education

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to identify factors that influence the disproportionately high number of Black boys identified as having an Emotional Disturbance disability during their school age years through the lens of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework. Using CRT as the framework for this study it allowed this study to advocate on behalf of Black boys and to potentially expose bias within our public education system. Through a two round interview process, key stakeholders in the public education system contributed their perceptions and assumptions of the school experience of Black boys. Specifically, those in urban districts and those with perceived extreme behaviors that impede their ability to learn at the rate as their White counterparts. The purpose of the student observations was to compare and contrast behaviors amongst students with an Emotional Disturbance (ED) disability in various academic settings. As well as, to identify commonalities, discrepancies amongst students, to support or attest to current literature and the information provided during the interviews, as it relates to Black boys with an ED disability. The responses from the interviews and the observations allowed me to bridge the gap and add to the current literature as it relates to the over-representation of Black boys identified as having an ED disability. The findings of this study also identified four major themes: misconception, environmental factors, Black boys and their behaviors and ineffective school-wide supports. Major themes emerging from this study gave a deeper meaning behind the impact has on the disproportionately high numbers of Black boys identified as having an ED disability in the public education system.

Committee: Judy Alston Ph.D (Committee Chair); Rosaire Ifedi Ed.D (Committee Member); Henry Pettiegrew II Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Special Education

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2024, Educational Leadership

Science classrooms often marginalize students of color, particularly Black and Brown boys, by devaluing their perspectives and supporting narratives that reinforce long-lasting deficit mindsets that sustain practices that keep Black and Brown boys in the margins. Using a Critical Participatory Action Research methodology, this qualitative research reflects on the experiences and reflections of three science teachers and their collective journey as they implemented culturally responsive teaching, in addition to amplifying reflections and suggestions from Black and Brown boys in their classes.

Committee: Dr. Érica Fernández (Advisor); Dr. Meghan Phadke (Committee Member); Dr. Guy Parmigian (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

Tupac Shakur wrote in his song Changes, “learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers.” This qualitative study was motivated by this call to action. Drawing on Miller and Bryan's (2020) notion of otherbrothers, this study uses autoethnography as a qualitative method to interrogate the structural/personal motivators, enablers, and constraints behind the ways otherbrothering has manifested in my own life, while identifying and filling a void for qualitative research on this notion of otherbrothering. What has been and what is now the nature of my otherbrothering experiences from preschool through Ph.D.? This question emerges at the intersection of several key areas of literature that point at the discourse around how Black men and boys navigate an anti-Black world, within and beyond schooling. Furthermore, I share my story alongside the academic literature about Black men and boys, shifting the focus from the pervasive deficit literature to share stories of advancing through the educational pipeline and the conditions that warrant otherbrothering. Writing my personal narrative validates my story as well as the stories of others, making “witnessing” possible by providing an opportunity for others to observe and offer testimonies that can heal/cope with or change the conditions of an anti-Black world (Baszile, 2008; Denzin, 2004; Ellis, Adams, & Bochner, 2011); it is our healing that should define us, not our trauma. It is my belief that Black men and boys can achieve at the same rate as their peers. It is change we must make if we are truly interested in transforming our schools and meeting the needs of all of our scholars, especially those who have and continue to be disenfranchised within them. Educators must create safe and trusting environments that are respectful of students' culture, and be the change that we want to see, in hopes that we start to see one another just like bruddas.

Committee: Denise Taliaferro Baszile (Advisor); Brian Schultz (Committee Member); Joel Malin (Committee Member); Thomas Poetter (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2023, Educational Administration

Previous research shows that young Black males have a difficult relationship with literacy and reading motivation (Husband, 2012; Robinson, 2019). This study investigates the characteristics of a Black male's culture of reading to determine library use. The second phase of the study utilizes critical participatory action research and narrative inquiry method design to collect qualitative data through semi-structured interviews. The final section provides a Logic Model for increasing the reading motivation and library use of K-12 young Black males, identifies stakeholders, and suggests resources and organizational interventions based on Radical Empathy, Funds of Knowledge, and Human-Centered Design Thinking. The study's findings are discussed, along with recommendations for future research and extension of the study's scope.

Committee: Davin Carr-Chellman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Rochonda Nenonene Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lillie Albert Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Black Studies; Early Childhood Education; Education; Educational Leadership; Library Science; Literacy; Multicultural Education; Organization Theory; Reading Instruction; Secondary Education; Social Research

Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2022, Educational Leadership

Aspects of systemic racism have created a gifted educational system based on de facto segregation, maintained by nationally normed assessments that serve the needs of white privilege. Therefore, a different avenue of identification could be utilized to allow for equity for students of color. This approach was the basis of this research. Finding alternate ways to identify students of color, with an emphasis on Black elementary students, may be one way to create equity in the gifted program in a school district in Ohio and close a twenty-one percent gap in equity in gifted education. The students of color in the district under study have many social, cultural, and developmental challenges that keep them from being identified and participating in gifted programs based on normed standardized tests mandated by the state of Ohio. Utilizing norms as a way to identify potentially gifted students and incorporating them into the gifted program in this district allowed for a closing of the gap of inequities in gifted identification to about one percent. In addition, the inclusion of potentially gifted students based on building norms allowed the gifted program in this district to increase by more than twice the amount and to create equity within this large urban public school district in Ohio. This research may potentially help increase participation in gifted education for students of color and allow for further research in the identification of students for gifted education as well as focus on the use of potential in gifted education programs.

Committee: Lucian Szlizewski (Committee Chair); Sujay Sabnis (Committee Member); Kate Rousmaniere (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: African Americans; African Literature; Educational Leadership; Epistemology; Gifted Education

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2014, College of Education

Through this qualitative study, the story of the African American male as a learner in the public school system was investigated. There were 12 adult Black male participants, six of whom dropped out of school before completion, and six of whom graduated with a high school diploma. From their earliest memories, they shared their lived experiences in the public school setting. The findings from this study indicated that a supportive network, such as that provided in a two-parent household or by an adult mentor, was the critical factor in the success or failure of the African American male relative to graduating from high school.

Committee: Jane Piirto PhD (Committee Chair); James Chapple EdD (Committee Member); Rosaire Ifedi EdD (Committee Member); Howard Walters EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Education; Gender; Teaching