Enhancing Opportunity By Increasing Access For African American Males At An Early College High School

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Randy Eric St.Clair (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Much of the research surrounding African American males and their performance in education has centered strictly on their outcomes on standardized tests. The African American male subgroup has historically performed significantly lower on such tests than their White counterparts and too often those performance measures are used to determine what types of opportunities they receive in education. This mixed methods research study considers an educational reform model at the secondary level of education: Early College High Schools. The study examines one particular early college high school and its application process to determine if there are any barriers or disincentives for African American male enrollment in the school. Analysis of the application process allows for the conversation about enrollment into the innovative high school to shift from achievement to opportunity. Through an environmental scan of the school’s legacy application process members of the school’s Recruitment Committee will create categories of what could serve as potential barriers or disincentives for the enrollment of African American male students. From the creation of the categories a questionnaire will be made and given to teachers, parents, and students to help identify an intervention that can be used in the application process. An evaluation of the implementation of that intervention will take place through interviews of African American male applicants, which will give them the opportunity to share insight on the process. The data collected from the student interviews will allow me to determine if the intervention was successful or needs to be modified or replaced.

Additional Information

Publication

Dissertation

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

early college;access

Email this document to