Scott High School (SHS) is located in Taylor Mill, Kentucky. SHS is one of three high schools in the Kenton County School District. SHS has a total enrollment of 919 students (2012-2013. The student population is comprised of 91.3% White, 2.5% Black/African American, 1.6% Hispanic, .3% Asian, .2% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 4% two or more races. The free/reduced lunch percentage for the school is 35.3%. According to the 2012-2013 Kentucky School Report Card, the school’s attendance rate is below the District and State average (93.9%); retention rate is the highest in the district and state (9.6%); drop-out rate is higher than the district average (1.3%); and the graduation rate is lower than District and State levels (77.2%). Program This text will examine the assessment for the Scott Cares program. Scott Cares is a program targeted towards students who are disengaged from school and learning. Student engagement, for the purpose of this program, is a multi-dimensional construct that is made up of behavioral, emotional and cognitive factors (Fredricks, Blumenfeld & Paris, 2004). Behavioral engagement rests on the idea of participation and involvement in academic, social, or extracurricular activities, thought to be critical to positive academic outcomes and drop-out prevention (Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Finn, 1989). Emotional engagement identifies positive and negative reactions to teachers, classmates, academics, and school. When students are positively engaged emotionally to school, it is presumed that the engagement will positively influence the students’ willingness to work (Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Finn, 1989). Cognitive engagement focuses on the student’s investment in learning, including thoughtfulness, and p... ... middle of paper ... ...ris, A. (2004) School engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. doi: 10.3102/00346543074001059 Kenny, M., Blustein, D., Chaves, A., Grossman, J., & Gallagher, L. (2003). The role of perceived barriers and relational support in the educational and vocational lives of urban high school students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 50, 142-155. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.50.2.142 Perry, J. (2008). School engagement among urban youth of color: criterion pattern effects of vocational exploration and racial identity. Journal of Career Development, 34(4), 397-422. doi: 10.1177/0894845308316293 Taylor, R., Casten, R., Flickinger, S., Roberts, D., & Fulmore, C. (1994). Explaining the school performance of African-American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 4(1), 21-44. doi: 10.1111/1532-7795.ep11301469
Cater, the author of the book Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black And White, became interested as of why minority students were faced with white society challenges in school systems? In her book, Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black And White, she offers an insightful look at the educational attainment in low-income urban communities. Carter suggest that these students are embraced the dominant opportunity ideology, they acknowledge the dominant cultural to obtain status and goods. However, they use their own cultural to gain status in their own communities. She conducted a research to study the importance of cultural authenticity for minority, such as African American and Latino, students. She examines how cultural authenticity influences minority students’ relationship with the values they believe are privileged in schools. Cultural authenticity reflects on the beliefs and values of everyday society. Carter questioned, why do so many African American and Latino students perform worse than their Asians and White peers in class and on exams? And why might African Americans and Latino students are less engaged in
Oates, Gary L. St. C. "The Color of the Undergraduate Experience and the Occupational Attainment of Blacks and Whites: Evidence from Longitudinal Data." Sociological Quarterly 45.1 (2004): 21-44. JSTOR. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
Perhaps more importantly, the average black teenager is raised within a single parented home, typically with their father being absent. Not only does the absence of father’s affect the home financially, but also emotionally and socially destruct the family. Although most single mothers do a great job in raising their kids, 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. For children who live only with a mother, a male teacher may be the only positive male role model in their lives. Most black teens attend urbanized schools in the city or in low budgeted areas. In most cases, these schools does not always function at it’s full potential, due to the high number of students. The average high school graduation rate in the nation’s 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in...
from U.S. high schools in 2008, compared to 78% of White male students” (Kafele, B. (2012). Not only were...
The achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the performance groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability and socio-economic status. The achievement gap can be observed through a variety of measures including standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, college enrollment and completion rates. The Black-White achievement gap is a critical issue in modern society’s education system. Although data surrounding the issue clearly indicates that the racial performance gap exists in areas of standardized tests, graduation rates, dropout rates, and enrollment in continuing education, the causative reasons for the gap are ambiguous—therefore presenting a significant challenge in regard to the most effective way to close the gap. The gap appears before children enter kindergarten and it persists into adulthood (Jencks 1998). Since 1970, the gap has decreased about 40 percent, but has steadily grown since. Theories suggest the Black-White achievement gap is created by a multitude of social, cultural, and economic factors as well as educational opportunities and/or learning experiences. Factors such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, disparities between blacks and whites in income or family structure, and genetic and cultural differences between blacks and whites have all been evaluated as explanations for the Black-White achievement gap (Farkas 2004). The research that follows will elaborate on these factors as they affect the decline in academic performance of black males—particularly the literacy achievement of black males.
Race, gender, and socioeconomic status are enduring social characteristics that influence life outcomes and children and adolescents cannot control (Murphy, Gaughan, Hume, & Moore, 2010). With the unequal distribution of society’s resources based on race and gender and the negative view of African American males, African American males’ ability to access and complete college is hampered. Although athletics is often viewed as a way to improve one’s life chances, African-American male athletes perform worse academically than any of their peers (Murphy, Gaughan, Hume, & Moore, 2010), which threatens their college completion goals.
...wed as young adults almost ready for the life in society almost unfit for high school at their age. Race is another important factor that influences student’s perceptions society. Asians are expected to be more academically distinguished and stuck-up. African Americans are expected to stand lower academically and more likely to get into trouble similarly to Hispanics. All of the sometimes imagined or overgeneralized assumptions greatly influence relations within individuals and groups.
...her ups, and then once their ideas of education update, so can school systems, then teachers themselves. Maiers “Keys to Student Engagement” shows the raw potential that school systems already have. It also shows that students need the drive and ambition to succeed. Tristan’s article on edutopia provides ideas that are already in motion. His ideas and tips have already started to work in public high school in his community. With the guidance and vision of these three authors public school issues could cease to exist. Even though there’s a lot involved getting administrators (and some teachers) on board, it is possible, and in the near future, a reality.
Irving, M.A. & Hudley, C. (2008). Oppositional identity and academic achievement among african american males. In J. Ogbu (Ed.), Minority Status, Oppositional Culture, and Schooling, pp. 374-394. New York: Routledge.
Stroup, A. L. and L. N. Robins (1972). "Elementary school predictors of high school dropout among black males." Sociology of Education 45(2): 212-222.
Parental involvement as defined by Greene and Tichenor (2003) is participation “in the educational process by enhancing their parenting skills, developing positive communication skills between home and school, volunteering, providing learning opportunities at home, contribute to decisions that affect schooling, and collaborating with the community in support of the school” (p. 242).
The topic of family involvement with children’s education has caught my attention since I have seen a lack of it throughout my own education. Parent involvement is generally low or not enough in certain urban districts. Many parents seem unaware of the importance of their participation and the large role they play on their children’s education. It is many concepts and factors that can potentially affect students’ academic performance. It is socio economic, family factors that can negatively affect a student’s learning engagement and participation in educational achievement. The question then is: How can Public schools promote family involvement?
Palardy, G., and R. Rumberger. Does Desegregation Matter?: The of Social Composition on Academic Achievement in Southern High Schools. N.p.: University of North Carolina, 2005. Print.
Yet, some of the difference makers who are aware of these issues have achieved some great results in experimenting with alternative schooling strategies. As stated before, even though schools are no longer segregated that does not mean that minorities no longer feel separation between themselves and whites. One school took drastic and controversial measures to attack this issue. Amazingly, this school received equal results. In recognizing that minorities still felt like outsiders, the Bronx 's Eagle Academy High School put those minorities into a majority (Petit P.7). By becoming the Eagle Academy High School for Young Men they desegregated their students by gender and ensured that every student shared similar, community values. Eagle Academy gave each of their students in 2009 an assessment test that found their strength areas, and then they focused on those positive highlights (P. 14). They were then given attendance and lunch incentives followed by after school programs designed to completely maximize young mens success, ability to work effectively and learn the necessary items that provide obtainable routes to a college education (P.15). Mentor programs are set forth by not for profit organizations, and the school gives every parent an open door policy and a list of expectation on them, the student and their highly qualified teachers (P. 18). None of these changes would
Education is the key to success and there are multiple ways to boost a student’s confidence while attending high school to enhance a better future for his/herself. It is our job as parents and faculty to keep the students engaged and aware of the repercussions of dropping out and to do everything in our power to keep the students productive and interactive to ensure a bright