Dissertation

The impact of an Afrocentric educational experience on school functioning of selected Black students

Webb, Betty Jo

1996

Overview

For generations, it has been common knowledge that African-American students did not perform as well (relatively speaking) as White students. The typical response in attributing causality for such disparity has been to engage in a \"victim analysis.\" On January 8, 1991, the Board of Education of the Minneapolis Public Schools initiated an experimental half-day Afrocentric Educational Program for Middle School students from two schools. This program was one of the district's programmatic initiatives designed to address the culturally specific educational needs of Black students. Although there have been several externally sponsored alternative programs, such programs have a tendency to reach small numbers of students, do nothing to change or impact the system and typically do not provide an evaluation. The Minneapolis Public School's Afrocentric program was designed to: (1) Increase the self-esteem and respect for knowledge and for traditional African-American beliefs and values; (2) Develop a demonstration model demonstration model which could be implemented at all locations within the Minneapolis Public Schools and; (3) Chronicle approaches and techniques evaluated as being effective with African-American students for Minneapolis Public School educators. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the half-day educational experience on: (1) The self-concept of selected African-American middle school students and; (2) The academic achievement and social behaviors of selected African-American students. The sample for the study includes 160 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from two schools. There were three groups involved in the study; an experimental group Afrocentric students; control group one--selected Black students not enrolled in the Academy; and control group two--selected White students not enrolled in the Academy. Data were collected through pre and post tests given to students attending the experimental Afrocentric Program and two matched control groups who did not have the experimental educational experience. In addition, attendance, unexcused absences and suspensions were measured using \"change\" scores between 1990-91 and 1991-92. A one-way analysis of variance as well as pairwise t-tests comparisons were conducted to determine if differences were statistically significant at the.05 level. Given the design limitations, lack of statistically significant results, and often small differences, the results reported were considered consistent enough to demonstrate that the involvement of African-American middle school students in the Afrocentric Educational Program on a half-day basis did not negatively impact their academic achievement or self-concepts. The outcomes provided indications that educationally, the experimental group benefitted more, when compared with two control groups (Black and White) of their peers who did not have the Afrocentric educational experience.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Curricula / Curriculum development / Educational administration / School administration / Secondary education / Teaching
• ISBN: 0591092344, 9780591092349