A Case Study of Alabama State College Laboratory High School in Historical Context, 1920-1960
A “Laboratory of Learning”: A Case Study of Alabama State College Laboratory High School in Historical Context, 1920-1960 Sharon G. Pierson Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the Executive Committee of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2012 © 2012 Sharon G. Pierson All rights reserved ABSTRACT A “Laboratory of Learning”: A Case Study of Alabama State College Laboratory High School in Historical Context, 1920-1960 Sharon G. Pierson In the first half of the twentieth century in the segregated South, Black laboratory schools began as “model,” “practice,” or “demonstration” schools that were at the heart of teacher training institutions at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Central to the core program, they were originally designed to develop college-ready students, demonstrate effective teaching practices, and provide practical application for student teachers. As part of a higher educational institution and under the supervision of a college or university president, a number of these schools evolved to “laboratory” high schools, playing a role in the development of African American education beyond their own local communities. As laboratories for learning, experimentation, and research, they participated in major cooperative studies and hosted workshops. They not only educated the pupils of the lab school and the student teachers from the institution, but also welcomed visitors from other high schools and colleges with a charge to influence Black education. A case study of Alabama State College Laboratory School, 1920-1960, demonstrates the evolution of a lab high school as part of the core program at an HBCU and its distinctive characteristics of high graduation and college enrollment rates, well-educated teaching staff, and a comprehensive liberal arts curriculum.
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