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The Intersection of Economic Disadvantage and Race and The Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2018 The nI tersection of Economic Disadvantage and Race and the Expanded Role of Parent-Led School- Supporting Nonprofit Organizations in K-12 Public Schools in the Richmond, Virginia, Metropolitan Area: A Mixed Methods Approach Rachel A. Levy Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, and the Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5566 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Rachel A. Levy 2018 All Rights Reserved The Intersection of Economic Disadvantage and Race and the Expanded Role of Parent-Led School-Supporting Nonprofit Organizations in K-12 Public Schools in the Richmond, Virginia, Metropolitan Area: A Mixed Methods Approach A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. by Rachel Anne Levy M.Ed., The George Washington University, 1999 B.A., Wesleyan University, 1995 Director: Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Educational Leadership School of Education Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia July 31, 2018 ii Acknowledgement I would like to thank my adviser, mentor, and dissertation chair, Dr. Charol Shakeshaft, for believing in me and for believing in this project. I would not be here at this point without her support. I would also like to thank the rest of my committee members for their assistance and influence. Dr. Genevieve Sigel-Hawley’s work and teaching were seminal to this project. Dr. Katherine Cumings Mansfield showed me how a paper for a class could become so much more. Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom’s feedback helped me to find the place of urgency in this project, to turn the corner it needed to turn. I also must acknowledge my husband, Cedar Reilly Riener, and my children, Caleb, Liam, and Amelie, for their unwavering love, support, and encouragement. Finally, I am grateful to my parents, Edward and Mary Levy, and to my grandparents, Gladys and John Mansnerus and Marion and Arthur Levy. I am who I am not despite of all of them but because of all of them. From my first days of life, I learned that this is the kind of work that women do. iii Table of Contents Page List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. v List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vi Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1. School-supporting Nonprofit Organizations: Background, Context, and Significance .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 The Search for Literature .................................................................................................... 5 Clarification of Terms ......................................................................................................... 5 School Funding: A General Context ................................................................................... 7 The Confluence of Civic Organizations and Parent Groups ............................................. 13 The Rise and Expansion of SSNP Organizations ............................................................. 27 The Suburban Context, Concentrated Affluence, and Concentrated Whiteness .............. 47 Richmond, VA .................................................................................................................. 58 Contributions and Significance of This Study .................................................................. 60 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions .................................................................. 65 Chapter 2. A Mixed-Methods Methodology ................................................................................. 67 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 67 Researcher Perspective ..................................................................................................... 68 Research Design................................................................................................................ 73 Site Selection and Sample ................................................................................................. 79 Data Sources and Collection ............................................................................................. 86 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 92 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 103 Chapter 3. The Intersection of Economic Disadvantage and Race and School-Supporting Nonprofit Organizations: Quantitative Findings ....................................................................... 108 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 108 Presence and Typology .................................................................................................. 108 Volunteer Capacity and Activity ................................................................................... 117 iv Page Financial Capacity and Impact ................................................................................................... 142 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 165 Chapter 4. Understanding Racialized and Socioeconomic Disparities Associated With School-Supporting Nonprofit Organizations: Qualitative Results ............................................ 168 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 168 Participation in SSNP Organizations Benefits Stakeholders ......................................... 169 Public Schools as Community Service, Charity, and a Cause ....................................... 178 Required: SSNP Fundraising and Volunteering ............................................................ 194 Power Sharing Between SSNP and Educational Leaders .............................................. 213 Summary ........................................................................................................................ 224 Chapter 5. Discussion of the Findings and Conclusions: Implications for Civic Groups and Nonprofits, Equity and Opportunity, Educational Leaders, School Finance, and Public Education ........................................................................................................................ 226 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 226 Parent-led SSNP Organizations as Civic Groups .......................................................... 227 Implications for Equality, Equity, and Opportunity ...................................................... 230 Implications for Educational Leaders ............................................................................ 238 Implications for School Finance and Solutions ............................................................. 242 Implications for the Purpose and Promise of Public Education and Conclusions ......... 253 Suggestions for Future Research ................................................................................... 258 Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 264 v List of Tables Table Page 1. Three School Districts’ Combined Demographics .............................................................. 83 2. Total Sample ....................................................................................................................... 85 3. Independent Variable Quartiles ........................................................................................... 86 4. Data Sources ........................................................................................................................ 88 5. Approximate Numbers of Data Sources, Documents, and Artifacts, Initial Sample .......... 89 6. Variables and Parameters .................................................................................................... 93 7. Research Questions and Variables ...................................................................................... 98 8. Differences Between Schools in Presence of SSNPs According to Students’ Economic Status ..............................................................................................................
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