Dissertation Prospectus

CONSTRUCTING SUCCESS FOR BLACK STUDENTS IN SUBURBAN HIGH SCHOOL by JOHNNY A. LAKE A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2011 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Johnny A. Lake Title: Constructing Success for Black Students in Suburban High School This dissertation has been accepted and approved in fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership by: Dr. Charles Martinez Co-Chair Dr. Gerald Tindal Co-Chair Dr. Scott Pratt Member Dr. Gerald L. Rosiek Member and Richard Linton Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies/Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon. Degree awarded June 2011 ii © 2011 Johnny A. Lake iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Johnny A. Lake Doctor of Philosophy Department of Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership June 2011 Title: Constructing Success for Black Students in Suburban High School Approved: _______________________________________________________ Dr. Charles Martinez, Co-Chair Approved: _______________________________________________________ Dr. Gerald Tindal, Co-Chair Considerable literature supports that teachers are important to student achievement, but few studies have assessed the student voice to determine what specific teacher behaviors and interactions affect achievement. This study is a secondary analysis of existing data from a local implementation of a national survey of student appraisals of teacher-student relationships, school experiences and their impacts on achievement. Data were analyzed to explore differences in perceptions for White and Black students, for higher- and lower-performing Black students and for Black males and females who attend suburban, high SES, high-performing, predominantly White high schools. Findings indicate an achievement gap between Black and White students, Black higher- and lower-performing and Black male and female students in predominantly White high schools. Students‘ perceptions of specific teacher interactions, school experiences and achievement differed and were impacted by race and gender effects, but more positive appraisals of student-teacher interactions and school experiences were positively related to improved achievement for all students. iv CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Johnny A. Lake PLACE OF BIRTH: Bolivar, Tennessee GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene Willamette University at Salem, OR DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor of Philosophy, Educational Leadership, 2011, University of Oregon Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, 2006, University of Oregon Bachelor of Science, History, 2001, Willamette University at Salem AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: History Education Diversity PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Principal, middle and high school Administrator, k-12 GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS: Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Educational Leadership, 2004 to 2009 and Education Studies, 2009 to present Carson Grant for ―Voices of the Elders‖ project Phi Beta Kappa Award Mortar Board v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank Charles Martinez, Gerald Tindal, Jerry Rosiek and Scott Pratt for their support and kind assistance with this research project. I also wish to thank Molloy Wilson, Silvia Flores, Francine Marchelle, Shadiin Garcia, Dan Close, Kevin Alltucker, and the staff at OSLC who provided me with material and emotional support and encouragement through this process. vi For my grandmother, who…and for my children and grandchildren to whom I hope to impart the same knowledge and wisdom that my grandmother Leonia Patrick gave to me. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 Key Influences on Student Academic Performance ............................................. 7 Teachers Impact Student Achievement ................................................... 11 II. BACKGROUND OF STUDY .................................................................................... 54 Research Questions .............................................................................................. 55 Research Hypotheses ........................................................................................... 56 III. METHOD, DESIGN, AND PROCEDURES ............................................................ 57 Design .................................................................................................................. 57 Method ................................................................................................................. 57 Data Collection .................................................................................................... 60 Participants and Setting........................................................................................ 62 Grouping Variables .............................................................................................. 65 Measures .............................................................................................................. 66 Analytic Approach ............................................................................................... 70 IV. RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 72 V. DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 83 VI. LIMITATIONS OF STUDY ................................................................................... 114 VII. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY ................................................................................ 116 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 117 A. TEACHER STUDENT RELATIONSHIP MODEL .................................... 117 B. TRIPOD STUDENT SURVEY INSTRUMENT ......................................... 118 C. FACTOR LOADING MATRIX AND CRONBACH'S ALPHAS FOR TEACHER STUDENT RELATIONSHIP MEASURE ....... 122 REFERENCES CITED .................................................................................................. 123 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Allocation of Experienced Teachers by Minority Status and Poverty ................. 17 2. Classes Taught by Out-of-Field Teachers by Minority Status and Poverty ......... 17 3. Eugene District 4J Student Ethnicity as Percentages of Enrollment 2009 ........... 64 4. White Students ..................................................................................................... 76 5. Black Students ...................................................................................................... 77 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Mean Scores and standard deviations evaluations of Tripod student survey responses by race, Black and White only .................................................................. 73 2. Black and White Students: Correlations on Measures of Student-Teacher Interactions and Student Achievement ...................................................................... 73 3. Black Students: Mean Scores and standard deviations evaluations of Tripod student survey responses by race, Black and academic achievement. ...................... 78 4. Higher-performing and lower-performing Black Students (higher performing- grades A, B+, B, B-) (lower-performing- grades C+, C, C-, D+, D-, F): Correlations for scores on Measures of Student-Teacher Interactions and Student Achievement .............................................................................................................. 80 5. Black Students: Mean Scores and Standard Deviations Evaluations of Tripod Student Survey Responses by Race and Gender. ..................................................... 81 6. Black Males-Black Females: Correlations for Scores on Measures of Student- Teacher Interactions and Student Achievement.. ..................................................... 81 x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The idea that teachers affect student learning is rarely challenged (Goodlad, 2004; Gollnick & Chinn, 1998; Darling-Hammond, 2010; Oakes & Lipton, 2007). But, what makes a good teacher? Teacher education programs set up high standards and rigorous training to improve teacher quality to ultimately raise student achievement, especially for poor and minority students. Despite increased preparation and teacher accountability we still find many students failing. Among assessments of teachers, few include the student voice. What would a student say makes a good teacher or school? Discouraging educational outcomes persists for Black high school students, especially in communities that are urban, poor, and minority, where failure is often expected, and attributed to poverty, crime, lack of resources, poor quality teachers, dilapidated facilities, and family problems (Bartelt, 1995; Hummel & Nagle, 1973; Verstegen & Ward, 1991). Nationally, 75% of White students graduate high school on time, while approximately 50% of Black students graduate on time (Orfield, 2001). A historical academic achievement gap between Black and White students remains. The racial achievement gap persists even in predominantly White, high- performing, high SES schools (Ferguson, 2002). As a group, Black students may

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