Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2007, Educational Leadership

In an effort to address a broad educational issue - the student achievement gap between European Americans and African Americans in public suburban schools – this qualitative case study examined the phenomenology of the social world, as conferred in interpretative discourse, that employs a Verstehen framework attempting to understand the culture in higher socio-economic suburban schools as well as how educators and other school personnel construct the meaning of the achievement gap in their social world. Using phenomenology, the crux of the discussion focuses on how teachers, administrators, and other school personnel understand the problem within their school setting(s). This interpretative study centered on ways that educators understand student achievement gaps in suburban school settings. Data analysis was initiated with data generated by the Ohio Department of Education's state-mandated tests and report cards and continued with the collection of open-ended surveys and interviews. In data analysis, theme response categories were formed. For each, further analysis was conducted by sub-groups (e.g. race, gender, professional position, etc.) in accordance with the most frequently mentioned themes. The outcome of the analysis was a discussion of the research questions. The methods employed were used to gain greater insight into how the Egan Local School District (a pseudonym) employees understand the achievement gap in relation to their “life-world” experiences. This study found that the respondents were very uncomfortable when they addressed the achievement gap. They believed that it had multiple causes, including broad social forces, social class, and a lack of cultural competence. African Americans were more likely to attribute the achievement gap to school or district factors than were European American respondents. The most striking differences, however, were between administrators, teachers, and support staff. Further research is needed to examine student trac (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Frances Fowler (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Organizational Leadership , Franklin University, 0, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

The Black-White achievement gap has been an acknowledged problem in American public education since the 1960s with the release of the Coleman Report (1966). Academic optimism has been linked to student achievement since its development in 2006. This study seeks to confirm the link between academic optimism and student achievement, and to see if there is a connection between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap in an urban public-school setting.164 high school teachers from an urban school district in Ohio were surveyed to assess the level of academic optimism in their schools. This variable was then compared to the difference in math and ELA test scores between Black and White students at each school. The results of this study confirmed a significant positive correlation between academic optimism and student achievement, as well as between each of the three components of academic optimism (academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust) and student achievement. However, there was no significant correlation found between academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap, nor between the factors of academic optimism and the Black-White achievement gap.

Committee: Matthew Barclay (Committee Chair); Anne Ross (Committee Member); Julie Hao (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education History; Education Policy; Educational Theory

PHD, Kent State University, 2010, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), I investigated the relationships among bullying behaviors, internet use, and academic achievement for Black, Hispanic, and White boys and girls. I assessed three measures of academic achievement, including scores on mathematics, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. The four goals of this research project were 1) to investigate the relationships among bullying behaviors, internet use (e.g., chatting, e-mailing, surfing) and academic achievement, 2) to explore whether bullying behaviors and internet use affects academic achievement over time, 3) to test if internet use moderates the relationship between bullying behaviors and academic achievement, and 4) to test if race and gender gaps in achievement persist once accounting for the relationships among bullying behavior, internet use, and social capital. Findings indicate bullying by itself does not have a significant association with achievement outcomes, while the influence of internet use varies in significance and direction of effect based on type of use. Chatting was the only measure of internet use that consistently had a significant negative relationship across all achievement outcomes. The association between bullying behaviors and academic achievement was moderated by some forms of internet use such that at low levels of bullying, children with low levels of internet use had significantly higher test scores. As levels of bullying increased, low/high internet users test scores converged to the point that at high levels of bullying behaviors, differences in test scores between low/high internet users were statistically insignificant. Email use and surfing the web were found to moderate the association between bullying behaviors and reading comprehension. Surfing moderated bullying and math scores. Chatting moderated the relationship between bullying and each of the three outcomes. Lastly, there were no significant race or gender dif (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Andre Christie-Mizell PhD (Committee Chair); Amoaba Gooden PhD (Committee Member); Nicole Rousseau PhD (Committee Member); Robert Peralta PhD (Committee Member); Richard Serpe PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Education; Educational Sociology; Gender; Hispanic Americans; Minority and Ethnic Groups; Sociology

PHD, Kent State University, 2018, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration

According to the TIMSS 2015 international study findings, students who enjoy learning mathematics a lot scored much higher (average 61 points) than the students who do not enjoy it a lot. Enjoying learning mathematics is one of the indicators of the construct “intrinsic motivation” towards mathematics, and this type of other constructs, such as confidence, attainment value, and utility value were found to have significant contributions in students' academic achievement in previous studies. This study considered the Expectancy-Value Theory (E-VT) of achievement motivation and the Social Equity Theory (SET) to investigate racial-ethnic gaps in achievement motivational constructs as well as achievement scores of U.S. eighth-grade students in the mathematics and science domains. The TIMSS 2011 U.S. national data on mathematics and science were utilized to answer four research questions. The first research question addressed the psychometric properties of the achievement motivation scales in the TIMSS 2011 Student Background Questionnaire, and the findings of this study confirmed sound evidence regarding the construct, convergent, and divergent validity of the scales. The second research question looked for the racial-ethnic gaps in achievement motivational constructs. A series of measurement invariance tests confirmed that the racial-ethnic groups (Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White students) are not comparable after controlling for students' relative standing or ability levels on the constructs. The third and fourth research questions sought to determine the extent to which the E-VT and the SET explain variance in mathematics and science achievement. This study results showed that the E-VT constructs explain more within-group variance in the mathematics domain (with moderate to large effect sizes) than the science domain (with moderate effect sizes), and the SET variables explain the almost similar amount of within-group variance in both domains (with moderate effect (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jason Schenker Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Tricia Niesz Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lisa Borgerding Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Tests and Measurements

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2006, Secondary Education

This mixed methods study was conducted to investigate whether a relationship exists between the implementation of the Bridges program (Bridges Bilingual Parent Resource) during the academic school year and achievement gains in a largely Latino student population. Parental involvement and student motivation were also important components in this study. Developed as a bilingual parent resource, the Bridges program provides grade level exercises and activities for the purpose of assisting parents in engaging their children over the summer months to decrease summer learning loss. Instructions and additional resources (i.e., glossary, etc.) are written in both Spanish and English to serve both populations. Each book presents materials that should serve as a review of the skills acquired over the previous academic year and expose students to new skills to which students will be introduced in the upcoming academic year. The purpose of this study was to determine if Bridges would serve as an effective tool for parents to assist their children during the academic year and to determine if it increases student achievement. Parents and their children attending a charter school in New Mexico were asked to participate in the study that provided the families with the Bridges materials at no cost. Data were collected from 73 students that participated in the Bridges program, and 261 students who did not. The New Mexico Standards-based Assessment Tests and DIBELS fall and spring scores (for reading in Grades 1-2) were used to evaluate student achievement as pretest and posttest measures for all of the subjects in the study. A pre-program questionnaire and a post-program questionnaire were created to obtain information regarding parental involvement, student motivation, environmental factors, and attitudes toward education. Parents of the students in the Bridges group completed the questionnaires before they began the program and after they submitted the Bridges materials back to the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Denise Stuart (Advisor); Isadore Newman (Other); Carole Newman (Other); Lynn Smolen (Other); Sajit Zachariah (Other) Subjects:

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

The purpose of this study was to explore whether and how tracking structures in mathematics courses at the middle school level relate to differences in achievement between white and black students. This study used propensity score matching to compare the achievement outcomes of students enrolled in advanced mathematics classes, with students of comparable ability and background enrolled in grade-level math classes. The study sample was comprised of 1,510 students. Results from the study show that enrollment in an advanced-math course was associated with statistically significant improvement in math achievement for average-ability students. In addition, study results show that increases in student achievement associated with average-ability black student enrollment in advanced-level math courses surpass the increases in math achievement outcomes associated with average-ability white student enrollment in advanced-level math courses. These findings have important equity implications because average-ability black students opt to enroll, or are disproportionately placed, in grade-level math as compared to average-ability white students. The findings suggest that increased enrollment of average-ability black and white students in advanced-level math would lead to a reduction in the racial math achievement gap and to improved math achievement outcomes for both black and white students.

Committee: Frederick Hampton Dr. (Committee Chair); Adam Voight Dr. (Committee Member); Mark Freeman Dr. (Committee Member); Jeffrey Snyder Dr. (Committee Member); Glenda Toneff-Cotner Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Mathematics Education; Middle School Education; Secondary Education

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2017, College of Education

This dissertation addresses approaches to closing the achievement gap for urban public high schools. High school graduation rates have been increasing, both nationally and in Ohio; however, this is not the case for all students. The problem addressed in this research is that graduation rates of African-American and Hispanic students in Ohio were not increasing at the same rate as those of White students within the past decade. The literature review indicated that poverty was not always a predictor of lack of academic success. Through qualitative case study methodologies, this research explored how three urban public schools in Ohio made significant gains in improving the graduation rate of African-American and Hispanic students. Eighteen individuals were interviewed during the course of this study and their testimonies show that instructional strategies, academic interventions and building strong relationships with students were important in closing the achievement gap. The findings of this research include specific strategies and approaches that led to increased graduation rates. Additionally, this study provided participants, including African-American and Hispanic students, their parents, community leaders, and educators, an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns, and make valuable recommendations on how to continue to improve the education of underperforming African-American and Hispanic students in Ohio. The personal experiences of the participants in this study may help other public school district educators in the nation serving similar ethnic groups, gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities to closing the achievement gap.

Committee: Harold E. Wilson PhD (Committee Chair); James Olive PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Judy Alston PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Educational Leadership; Hispanic Americans; Multicultural Education; Secondary Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Sociology

The stratification and education literatures have demonstrated a large and persistent achievement test score gap between black and white students. The gap is evident when students enter kindergarten and grows larger before students finish high school. One of the primary questions in the literature has been the role of schooling in the test score gap. However, the difficulty of empirically isolating the effect of schooling from that of family background is particularly challenging and has limited our confidence in the findings from existing research. I utilize seasonal comparisons to better isolate school effects from forces acting on students outside of school. By comparing the learning students experience during the summer to that which occurs during the school year, I more effectively examine the effect of schooling on the black-white test score gap. Extending previous seasonal comparisons research, I draw on the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) and also examine the relative roles of school and non-school environments on the learning rates of Hispanic and Asian students in kindergarten and first grade. Results indicate that the black-white test score gap in both reading and math grows between the beginning of kindergarten and the end of first grade, and, contradictory to previous findings, the gap only grows during the school year yet remains constant over the summer break. Unlike black students, Hispanic students do not learn slower than white students during the school year. The achievement gap in reading between Hispanic and white students does not grow between the beginning of kindergarten and the end of first grade, and the math gap only grows over the summer break from schooling. Asian students begin kindergarten with higher achievement than white students, but by the end of first grade have fallen behind whites in both reading and math. The relative losses of Asian students to white students occur d (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Douglas Downey (Advisor) Subjects:

PHD, Kent State University, 2011, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

This research explored the experiences of four third grade teachers since the 2003 inception of the Third Grade Ohio Achievement Test (OAT) and the 2009 establishment of the Third Grade Ohio Achievement Assessment (OAA) due to the mandates of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in public school settings in Northeastern Ohio. Also, this study sought to understand the third grade teachers' perceptions of their students' experiences with the OAT (OAA), and the influence of the OAT (OAA) on their curriculum and pedagogy. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, data were collected through three hour-long interviews with each of the four participants for a total of 12 hours of interview data and through 24 hours of observations of the teachers instructing and interacting with their students in their classrooms. Artifacts and fieldnotes added to understanding the phenomena. The essential themes discovered were that the home environments of students influence classroom learning and produce a perceived achievement gap between environmentally disadvantaged students and their affluent counterparts. In addition, the four teachers professed that their effective teaching practices and curricula have been altered by test preparation; thus, according to the participants, the test preparation reduced enriching learning experiences for students and created a stifling teaching environment. Additionally, the four teachers and their students experienced adverse emotions prior to and during the OAA testing. The four participants maintain that the OAA is poorly designed and developmentally inappropriate for third grade students. Furthermore, the teachers concluded that their high-stakes testing experiences negatively impacted their professional morale.

Committee: Steven Turner PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Martha Lash PhD (Committee Co-Chair); David Dees PhD (Committee Member); Martha Merrill PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Tests and Measurements; Elementary Education; Literacy; Philosophy; Public Policy; Social Research; Teacher Education; Teaching

Master of Education (M.Ed.), Cedarville University, 2004, Education Department

The fact that an achievement gap between White and African- American students exists is undisputed. The reasons for this gap are many and complex. Evidence does exist, though, that this gap can be narrowed and potentially eliminated. Evidence also exists that demonstrates that when the gap in academic achievement becomes equal African-Americans are more likely to complete college and earn nearly the same income as Whites. Educators must understand the many reasons for the achievement gap and find ways to narrow the gap and further ensure the future success of all students. It is the purpose for this thesis to explore the reasons for the achievement gap and some possible solutions for narrowing the gap. Specifically, the paper will show one possible solution – the Academy structure.

Committee: Stephen Gruber (Advisor) Subjects:

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Allied Health Sciences: Communication Sciences and Disorders

The purposes of this study were 1) to examine Ohio Achievement Assessment data in the content areas of Reading, Science and Social Studies between the years of 2004-2010) to determine whether an achievement gap exists within the disability category of Deaf /Hearing Impaired; 2) to determine whether the trends present in the data of normal hearing students were also present in the data of students who are Deaf/ Hearing Impaired, and 3) to determine what impact No Child Left Behind has had on student performance.

Committee: Jo-Anne Prendeville Ed.D. (Committee Chair); James Basham Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lisa Cahill Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Clark Ph.D. (Committee Member); Laura Wilcox Kretschmer Ed.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Evaluation

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2013, English-Composition

Racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps remain stagnant in public school education, even though federal involvement was initiated to create an equal system for all and to help the most vulnerable students. Focusing on literacy, a historical lens was used to assess that similar strategies (testing, funding in exchange for compliance) have been used for decades with little success. It is evident that federal education reform programs offer uniform solutions without taking into account individual needs. Research on local schools, physiological differences, as well as teacher interviews, indicates that federal legislation fails to adequately address the connection between poverty and low school achievement. If that does not change, as the federal role in education increases, it is unlikely that achievement gaps will narrow.

Committee: Janet Bean Dr. (Advisor); Lance Svehla Dr. (Committee Member); Joseph Ceccio Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy

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

This study develops the theory of differential access and differential benefits as a holistic framework to address educational inequities, emphasizing the interconnectedness of access to resources and resulting benefits in shaping socioeconomic achievement gaps, while prior literature often examines these factors separately. The study uses Oaxaca decomposition and TIMSS 2019 mathematics data from eighth-graders in Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, and the United States to explore the effects of school material resources, teacher qualifications, instructional practices, and homework frequency on socioeconomic achievement gaps. Employing propensity score weighting enhances the robustness of the analyses. The findings reveal several noteworthy points under current resource distribution:1) School material resources exhibited minimal impact on the socioeconomic achievement gap in mathematics across all three regions; 2) In the United States, math teachers with mathematics-related college degrees correlated had students with a lower socioeconomic achievement gap than teachers with degrees in other areas; 3) Teacher-centered instructional practices in the United States similarly contributed to narrowing this gap; and 4) Homework frequency in Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong was associated with a reduction in the socioeconomic achievement gap. These compensatory effects primarily arose from the differential benefits process. The empirical evidence underscores the utility of the theory of differential access and differential benefits in reducing the socioeconomic achievement gap as well as differences among in countries in the factors that ameliorate the socioeconomic achievement gap.

Committee: Roger Goddard (Advisor); Roger Goddard (Committee Chair); Bryan Warnick (Committee Member); Minjung Kim (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Evaluation; Educational Sociology

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

This mixed methods study focused on why mathematical outcomes for African American and Latinx students are substantially lower than any subgroup at an Ohio elementary school. A critical participatory action research design and phenomenological approach was used to uncover what teachers and administrators deemed effective in improving math instruction and quantifiable data that explored proficiency and growth of African American and Latinx students compared to their White peers. Results indicate that opportunity gaps and the absence of positive relationship between African American students and teachers negatively impact their mathematical performance. The proposed action plan calls for: ongoing professional learning on community cultural wealth, the adoption of CRP framework, weekly professional learning communities, after-school program, and alternate times and spaces for PTO meetings.

Committee: James Olive (Committee Chair); Clarissa Peterson (Committee Member); Meredith Wronowski (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; African Americans; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education; Mathematics Education; Minority and Ethnic Groups

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Educational Studies

America's public schools are diversifying. This diversification demands that teacher preparation programs prepare novice teachers with a vision of teaching that accounts for cultural difference. Scholars like Gloria Ladson-Billings have done work on how teachers might move toward more culturally relevant teaching with all students, but Ladson-Billings herself observes the need for a more theoretical grounding for this kind of teaching. I investigate the vision of teaching found in the philosophies of Plato, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, Nel Noddings, and Paulo Freire to see if any of them offer the theoretical grounding for culturally relevant teaching. When these philosophies are found wanting, I turn my investigation to an organization doing the explicit work of preparing teachers to teach culturally Other students—Teach For America. I also suggest the philosophy of Charles Taylor offers useful principles for grounding culturally relevant teaching. Through historical and qualitative study, I use Teach For America as a case study of a teacher preparation program preparing teachers to teach diverse students. This dissertation offers lessons for all teacher preparation programs seeking to better do this work and for all teachers wishing to be culturally relevant in the classroom.

Committee: Bryan R. Warnick (Advisor); Winston C. Thompson (Committee Member); Jan Nespor (Committee Member); Ann Allen (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education History; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Philosophy; Teaching

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

Research and scholarship in multicultural education has consistently affirmed that as a result of the long standing racial academic achievement gap and the current teaching force not reflecting the changing demographics of students in the United States, students of color continue to be deprived from having teachers who look like them and who may bring similar life, social, and cultural experiences that can increase the value they place on academics. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of teachers of color and how they perceive their identity as significant and meaningful to their profession and its influential impact on the academic success of students of color. It is the role-model premise that students can benefit from seeing teachers with similar racial/ethnic background in a position of authority in school. This research was grounded on the depth that qualitative inquiry brings to the field of education and was critical to the ongoing thematic interpretation of teachers of colors' often preconceived views of identity. Findings were extracted from 14 teachers of color participants who were engaged in a reflective process that revealed emerging themes from their individual and common perceptions and experiences. This study affirms that teachers of color are vital in the education system and as anticipated, their reflective narratives each produced a landscape of stories that brought meaning into their different backgrounds, personal stories, challenges, belief system, and career that surfaced their initial motivation for entering the teaching profession. This study is also embedded within a framework that draws particularly from two theoretical lenses; identity theory and identity construction theory. Employing identity studies to teachers is an extension of ways in which theoretical views intersects with teachers' lives, experiences and perceptions of their role and educational practices. This dissertation is available in open access at (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lize Booysen DBL (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Holloway PhD (Committee Member); Kamuela Ka'Ahanui EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; American Studies; Cultural Anthropology; Early Childhood Education; Education; Education History; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Sociology; Educational Theory; Ethics; Ethnic Studies; Higher Education; Hispanic American Studies; Latin American Studies; Secondary Education

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2021, Spanish

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-efficacy, perceptions of preparedness and attitudes of recently graduated mathematics teachers certified to teach grades 7 – 12, specifically analyzing the context of the teaching of mathematics to Hispanic bilingual English language learners (HBELLs). In this mixed-methods study, 17 participants from a medium sized public university completed the Teaching English Language Learners Survey to measure teacher self-efficacy for the teaching of HBELLs. Eleven of those participants also participated in a qualitative follow-up interview to further explore attitudes and perceptions of preparedness in their teacher education program. The results of this study showed that self-efficacy levels range from low to mid-range and virtually all participants indicated little to no preparedness for teaching HBELLs in the math classroom. The results also showed that there was a mix of perceptions surrounding the Spanish language, some regarding it as a resource or while others see Spanish as a problem (see Ruiz 1984). In addition, a majority of participants indicated that the biggest barriers for teaching HBELLs are language and cultural. The results confirm that these math teachers are not sufficiently prepared to teach Hispanic bilingual English language learners nor do they have high levels of self-efficacy that would allow them to improve their work with these students. Suggestions are offered to improve mathematics teacher preparation with more culturally responsive teaching methods as well as increase teacher self-efficacy in the hopes of decreasing the achievement gap for students and improving the self-efficacy of future math educators.

Committee: Cynthia Ducar Ph.D. (Advisor); Remy Attig Ph.D. (Committee Member); Christopher Frey Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: English As A Second Language; Higher Education; Mathematics Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Leadership Studies

This study explored the influence of randomized belonging interventions on academic outcomes among first-generation college students at a mid-sized, Midwest, four-year public institution. Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome (I-E-O) model served as the conceptual framework for investigating the impact of an environmental sense of belonging intervention on outcomes such as first-year grade point average and continuous enrollment. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit a total of 10,281 students from across three cohorts (2015, 2016, and 2017) of incoming first-time undergraduate students. Participants were invited to complete an online, text-based intervention, the College Transition Collaborative Social Belonging Intervention (CTCSBI) during the summer prior to the beginning of their first semester. Among the sample population, 7,278 students were randomized to one of three treatment conditions. A balanced design was used to give equal representation in each condition. A non-treatment control group (N = 3,003) was included as part of a quasi-experimental component of the study. Factorial analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze and examine six research questions, to test the independent variables (Generation Status and Treatment Condition) with respect to the dependent variables (First-Year Grade Point Average and Continuous Enrollment), and to examine interaction effects while controlling for variables known to influence academic outcomes (High School Grade Point Average, Standardized College Entrance Exam Score, and Ethnicity). The results of the study suggested that completing a pre-matriculation intervention significantly influenced first-year grade point average and continuous enrollment of first-generation college students. This study and the related findings are especially important given the opportunity for such interventions to address and reduce achievement gaps of underserved students, align university initiatives wi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kristina LaVenia Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Margaret McCubbin MFA (Other); Julia Matuga Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary Murphy Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Pauken Ph.D., J.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Higher Education

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2020, College of Education

This study examined the achievement gap phenomena through a theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory, specifically investigating the cultural concepts of Stereotype Threat and Cultural Ecological Theory. An instrumental, qualitative case study of Black students at a predominately white, affluent, suburban high school shaped the foundation of the research. The participants were 11th and 12th grade students, who identified as African, Ghanaian, Eritrean, or Haitian Americans. The basic findings of the study revealed that Black students experienced various stereotypes that influenced students' perceptions of belonging and academic expectations. In addition, the study provided findings related to concepts of voluntary and involuntary immigrant acceptance of the social expectations of a settler society as defined by the principles of Cultural Ecological Theory.

Committee: Judy Alston Ph.D (Committee Chair); James Olive Ph.D (Committee Member); Cathryn Chappell Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Educational Leadership; Multicultural Education

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies, Xavier University, 2020, Leadership Studies and Human Resource Development

This study examined perceptions of successful racial and ethnic minority college graduates on social media regarding factors contributing to their academic success and overcoming the academic achievement gap; a total of 228 racial and ethnic minority participants completed an anonymous survey. The survey was framed by Harper's (2012) Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework. Further, through the lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory ([SCCT]; Lent, Brown & Hackett, 1994), the study investigated whether perceived outcomes differ depending on participants' personal backgrounds such as gender, race, and educational attainment. As factors related to academic achievement gap, the study yielded those who experienced the achievement gap are significantly more likely to be a first-generation college student, had lower socioeconomic status, found K-12 school agents' support as significant contributions, and were more likely to utilize campus resources. In light of seeking opportunities to overcome the academic achievement gap, minority participants were likely to hire a private tutor, and change majors. Further, they perceived that “self-motivation” and “hard-working” were the most important attitudes to improve academic performance. Significant differences in participants' perceptions emerged depending on participants' personal backgrounds. Regarding self-motivation, those with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees were significantly more likely to perceive self-motivation as the most important factor compared to those with associate or other specialist degrees. Compared to female participants, male participants' perceived hard working was the most important factor. Those with a higher education degree were more likely to perceive the degree of parental support as an important opportunity to overcome the academic achievement gap compared to their counterparts with a lower education level. Low-income participants perceived the importance of K-12 school agents more than mid (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ahlam Lee Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Gail F. Latta Ph.D. (Committee Member); Karen Bankston Ph.D., R.N., FACHE, FAAN (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Higher Education