Learning Together in Context: Attending to Culture in Early Childhood Family Engagement Initiatives by Shana E
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Learning Together in Context: Attending to Culture in Early Childhood Family Engagement Initiatives by Shana E. Rochester A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Education and Psychology) in the University of Michigan 2018 Doctoral Committee: Professor Nell K. Duke, Chair Professor Stephanie J. Rowley Assistant Professor Christina J. Weiland Professor Camille M. Wilson Shana E. Rochester [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1635-8878 © Shana E. Rochester 2018 DEDICATION Dedicated to my own family—past, present, and future—whose love and perseverance inspire me on this journey each day. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To the One who has kept me and guided my steps from the very beginning, I give all my thanks to You. You believed in me when I did not believe in myself. You provided me with the strength needed to finish this dissertation. I thank You for your favor, mercy, and love. This dissertation would not have been possible without a robust support system. I am so fortunate to have had such great coaches, supporters, cheerleaders, and teammates as I embarked on this journey. To my dissertation committee, I am so grateful for your thoughtful and insightful suggestions to improve my dissertation. Nell, I did not start my graduate program as your advisee, but you welcomed me with open arms and supported my vision for my graduate experience from the very beginning. You pushed me to be a better writer and never doubted my ability to successfully complete my degree, even when I sometimes did. You have been a model of academic excellence. Your attention to detail and your strong passion for all that you do is inspiring. Thank you for helping me reach heights I never thought I’d see. Chris, from the very beginning, I’ve been so in awe of your brilliance. I appreciate you for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to join your lab. I am so thankful for your patience, guidance, and support during my graduate career. Also, thank you for instilling in me the importance of research-practice partnerships and rigorous methodology. Stephanie, you have been so supportive of me. Thank you for always being in my corner and helping me deepen my research knowledge of Black families. Thank you for being a model of work-life balance and always availing yourself to help me. Camille, thank you for your willingness to serve on my committee. I knew you would push me intellectually, encourage me to examine myself in the research process, and hold my critical scholarship to a high standard. I appreciate your insights and for helping me to better understand the craft of research. To my family, thank you. It was you who kept me going in the darkest moments and who rejoiced with me on the best days. Mom, you are strength personified. I am eternally grateful for your constant love and support from Day One. Dad, thank you for showing me that hard work pays off and for encouraging me to do the best I can in all that I do. Regardless of what each of you had on your plate, you always made sure I had what I needed and never complained about your sacrifices. Des, you are the best little brother anyone could ask for! You are the most selfless person I know and you constantly push me to be a better me. Thank you for showing me how to be comfortable in my own skin and how to be unapologetically myself. Know that I am always here for you. Grandma, thank you for your honesty and your ability to keep iii me humble. I am so appreciative of your presence, especially in the final months of completing my degree when you sat with me while wrote and made edits. I admire your selflessness. Pop Pop, although you were not here to see me finish, your hard work and dedication inspired me to press on. Mom Mom, thank you for your love and joy. Andre, thank you for being you. Words cannot express how thankful I am for your love and unwavering support. You are a gift from God and I am very blessed to have you in my life. To my soul sisters—Carina, Frances, Najja, and Casta—thank you for letting me be myself. You all inspire me and have poured into me countless times. Thank you for the jam sessions, the prayers, the words of encouragement, and for your friendship. I would not be here if it were not for the guidance of my Spelman mentors and colleagues. They laid the foundation for my time at Michigan and supported me into the scholar I am today. Ms. Cherry Jackson, I am so grateful for your selflessness. Thank you for being the best supervisor ever and for taking me under your wing. Nayena (Dr. A. Nayena Blankson), thank you for believing in me! I have you to thank for even considering a Ph.D. I appreciate you helping me navigate the graduate school process. You are a great colleague and friend. Dolores (Dr. Dolores Bradley Brennan), thank you for being a great example of how to do this work with grace, academic excellence, and humility. I am so happy to have you as a colleague and mentor. To Drs. Karen Brakke, Sandra Patterson, Angela Farris Watkins, and the late Dr. B. LaConyea Butler, thank you for sharing your wisdom and encouraging me during Spelman journey and beyond. To the future Drs. April Brown, Morgan Jerald, Maria Jones, and Kelsei Thomas, thank you for encouraging me to strive for academic excellence. You may not have known it, but your passion and inspired me daily. To the MBRS-RISE program (especially Ms. Byrd and Ms. Philpot), thank you for nurturing my academic curiosity. To the faculty and staff at the University of Michigan and beyond, thank you for your support. Drs. Pamela Davis-Kean, Robert Jagers, Jacqueline Mattis, Henry Meares, Frederick Morrison, thank you for investing in me and supporting me over the years. To Byron Coleman, Joanna Elliot, Janie Knieper, Katie Schmitt, and Tina Sanford, thank you for your administrative support. A special thanks to Raymond McDaniel for helping me to build confidence in my writing and grow as a scholar. Nina, I am eternally grateful for your insights. I am certain my dissertation and my last year would not have come together so beautifully without your support. To my friends and graduate school colleagues, you all are so brilliant and inspiring. To Drs. Tabitha Bentley, Natalie Davis, HyeJin Hwang, Tamarie Macon, Faheemah Mustafaa, Esohe Osai, Latisha Ross, Kelly Slay, and the future Drs. Casta Guillaume, Corine Jackman, Omari Keeles, Katie Revelle, Crystal Wise, thank you for your wisdom. To the fellow lab members in the Equity in Early Learning lab, fellow students in the Black Student Psychological Association (BSPA), fellow Duke advisees, and members of my intramural teams, thank you for your support. iv I am grateful to the Combined Program in Education and Psychology, Center for Political Studies, Ford Foundation, Dr. Joseph R. Morris, Rackham Graduate School, Ford Foundation, and the Sarri family for providing financial support for my dissertation research. To the families and school districts that welcomed me into their lives, thank you. I could not have completed this work without each of you. To Keir and Deata McLemore, you are truly gems. Your conviction and support of children and families are so inspiring. Trische’ Duckworth, Genera Fields, Julia Lindsey, and Jon Williams, thank you for your research assistance. Trische’, I am so thankful for your friendship and support during my dissertation process. To all who sacrificed to be physically present during my oral dissertation defense: Edna Roane, Sylvia Rochester, Destry Rochester Jr., Andre Thompson, Donna Jones, Carlisle Rhodes, and (in alphabetical order) Mrs. Calixte Guillaume, Casta Guillaume, Maggie Hanna, HyeJin Hwang, Corine Jackman, Omari Keeles, Amanda Ketner, Julia Lindsey, Aixa Marchand, Lillie Moffett, Katie Revelle, Paola Rosada, Anna Shapiro, and Crystal Wise, thank you. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF APPENDICES ..................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... xi INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 Overview of the Dissertation .......................................................................................... 2 References ....................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 1: TESTING THE IMPACT OF A SERIES OF SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY SITUATED LITERACY WORKSHOPS FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES .......................................................................................................................... 9 Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 9 Testing the Impact of a Series of Socially and Culturally Situated Literacy Workshops for African American Families ..................................................................................... 11 How Effective are Family Literacy Interventions? ....................................................12