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ABSTRACT Amanda J. Hartness, the EFFECTS of AFFINITY GROUPS

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ABSTRACT Amanda J. Hartness, the EFFECTS of AFFINITY GROUPS ABSTRACT Amanda J. Hartness, THE EFFECTS OF AFFINITY GROUPS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING (Under the direction of Dr. Marjorie Ringler), Department of Educational Leadership, July 2012. Closing the Achievement Gap is one of the nation’s top education reform topics today. Despite many education reform efforts, the academic achievement of African American students continues to lag behind that of white students. In efforts to improve minority student achievement, some schools and organizations have created affinity groups to increase student self-efficacy and connectedness to school. This research study examined the potential impact racial affinity groups had on African American student achievement at the elementary school level in one district. THE EFFECTS OF AFFINITY GROUPS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Amanda J. Hartness July 2012 THE EFFECTS OF AFFINITY GROUPS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SETTING by Amanda J. Hartness APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF DISSERTATION:_________________________________________________ Marjorie Ringler COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ Kermit Buckner COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ Caryn Ward COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ Guili Zhang COMMITTEE MEMBER:________________________________________________________ William Grobe INTERIM CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: _________________________________________________________ William Rouse, Jr. DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: _________________________________________________________ Paul Gemperline ©Copyright 2012 Amanda J. Hartness DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my grandfather, Kenneth H. Davis, who taught me that education is the most valuable thing a person can obtain in life. He always told me that education is one of the few things that can stay with you and no one can ever take it away. As a result of his wisdom, I have been able to complete this journey. In addition, I dedicate this work to my father, Thomas Palmer, who taught me that the world is made up of many different people who all make a difference and play a part in the game of life. Growing up I watched my dad treat everyone with respect and dignity. He firmly believed that he was no better than any other man and that everyone deserved a chance in life. As a 10 year old, I remember being at his funeral and I listened to countless people tell stories of my dad’s generosity and how he believed in people when no one else would. In a small town going against the “norm” was not an easy thing to do and I am proud to know that my dad stood up for what was right whenever he could. I know today that my dad’s spirit lives on in my quest to do what is right for all children. I may not know all the answers in this journey but I hope that my legacy one day will reflect those values that he instilled in me at a very early age. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who played a vital role in the completion of my dissertation and doctoral program. It would be impossible to mention every person by name. I would first like to thank my family for their unwavering support and tolerance. I know there were many hours devoted to my work and many sacrifices were made on my behalf. To Riley, I thank you for being so patient with Mommy, as I worked on my laptop instead of playing with you or going to the barn. I know it was often hard for you to understand why this work was so important. I hope it will one day inspire you to achieve your own dreams and education. Always remember that education is one of the few things that no one can ever take away from you in life. Knowledge can be one of the most powerful gifts you can have. To Jason, I thank you for your love and strong support during times I doubted my abilities and myself. Without your flexibility and sense of security, I would not be the person I am today and this research would not have been possible. Thank you for always believing in me and pushing me to be the leader that you knew I could be. To my mom, Kenny Jane, who is probably my biggest educational fan. She is a fighter and she gave me the will to continue my journey. Her battle with cancer throughout my course work and research gave me the courage to face my biggest challenge. There were times I felt that this professional goal kept me from being there during her time of need, but she always supported my work and quest for education. To my staff members and colleagues, I would like to say thank you for putting up with my constant spouting of current research and relentless quest to achieve our mission to teach all children. Your support during this journey was appreciated. Finally, I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee for your guidance and wisdom during this process. Dr. Ringler, you were always helpful when I needed that little bit of guidance to push through my current project or chapter. I also appreciate that you recognized the affirmation that I needed and you gave it to me when I needed it most. Dr. Zhang, I appreciate your quick feedback and succinct advice in the area I needed the most confidence and support. Dr. Ward, I appreciate your friendship and guidance during this process. You were always patient with me and validated the knowledge that I brought to the table even when I doubted myself. I feel like we started out as colleagues in this journey and ended up as lifelong friends. Dr. Grobe, I appreciate your thoughtful feedback on my work and for pushing me to explore a direction I had not considered during my proposal. From your guidance, I unlocked new insights to my research in the area of social development. You were also the first person to tell me that I had the start of something that I could be proud of and that gave me the desire to complete this body of work. Dr. Buckner I appreciate that you forced me out of my comfort zone a few times during this coursework and helped me to become the reflective leader that I am today. I still don’t like role-playing but I took away valuable lessons from your teaching that will last a lifetime. Out of all my courses, you were by far my favorite teacher and leader. I often became frustrated in this process because the type A side of me wanted a script, a guide, a checklist, or a to do list. In reflection, I learned that this journey was my own. I did not need anyone to do this for me, but it was ok to ask for help when I needed it. While this work has probably been one of the most difficult and frustrating things I have done in my professional life; I feel confidant knowing that I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it. This work needed to be my own and I needed to be the leader in this process to prove to myself that I can accomplish my dreams. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………….............. xii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………… xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………............. 1 Problem Framing............………………………………………………….............. 1 Purpose of the Study………………………………………………………………. 2 Significance of the Study………………………………………………….............. 3 Research Questions………………………………………………………………... 4 Methodology Introduction………………………………........................................ 5 Limitations of the Proposed Research...................................................................... 5 Operational Definitions……………………………………………………………. 6 Organization of Dissertation………………………………………………………. 8 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE…………………………………........ 10 Purpose of Research.................................................................................................. 10 Historical Perspective……………………………………………………………... 11 Brown vs. Board of Education……………………………………………… 11 Individuals with Disabilities Act…………………………………………… 14 A Nation at Risk Task Force……………………………………….............. 15 No Child Left Behind………………………………………………............. 16 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act………………………………… 17 Achievement Gap Between White and African American Students…………........ 18 Contributing Factors of the African American Achievement Gap.……………….. 20 Student Attitudes or Self-Efficacy………………………………….............. 22 Teacher Attitudes and Caring……………………………………................. 25 Lack of Culturally Proficient Teaching Strategies………………….............. 27 Student Connectedness to the School Environment………………………... 29 Racial Identity Development of African American Students……………............... 30 Nine Cultural Characteristics and Six Learning Style Preferences of African Americans................................................................................................................. 33 Racial Identity and Achievement…………………................................................. 35 Affinity Groups and Affinity Seeking…………………………………….............. 37 Affinity Groups in the Educational Setting……………………………………….. 39 Affinity Group Policy in North Carolina………………………………….............. 44 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY………………………………………………............. 47 Research Questions………………………………………………………………... 48 Hypothesis…………………………………………………………….................... 49 Context of the Study……………………………………………………................. 49 Description of District..............................................................................................
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