Career and technical education (CTE) programs provide directives to prepare secondary students with the necessary skills and knowledge for their careers and college education. However, CTE programs could have more academic proficiency and employable skills to effectively prepare African American secondary students. This study aimed to explore the…

This report investigates the multifaceted value of postsecondary education for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students, particularly those involved in federally funded TRIO programs. Amid growing concerns over student debt and the perceived worth of higher education, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of both the economic and non-economic…

A student's sense of understanding is extremely important as it relates to school inclusion, connectedness, and overall success. However African American and Latino students, who are subjected to higher rates of school removal than other student populations, are placed in alternative settings, and as a result, experience difficulty reintegrating…

This multi-site, embedded case study drew on qualitative data to uncover how Black Student Unions (BSUs) within a large California university system bridged or buffered Black student experiences. The central purpose of this case study was to gain an understanding of the Black students' experiences within the BSU, framing the overarching research…

Curriculum is a critical force through which students receive the tacit message of their value in society. They learn which groups of people are valued and whose stories are worth learning. For too long, some students' and communities' stories have been deemed unworthy. Students need opportunities to see themselves and others portrayed in texts in…

While schools often are framed as places of neutrality and fairness, many American schools have harmed Black children or been silent in the face of their struggles, under-education, and mistreatment. While there are undoubtedly adults in these spaces who support Black children, many others ignore Black families, minimize students' concerns, and…

Drawing on the authors' experiences as Black parents, researchers, teachers, and teacher educators, this timely book presents a multipronged approach to affirming Black lives and literacies. The authors believe change is needed--not within Black children, but in the way they are perceived and educated, particularly in reading, writing, and…

This study examines urban school leaders and their decision-making around external partnership relations in resource-constrained contexts. I employed a case study design guided by sense-making and cultural responsiveness to highlight behaviors that contribute to successful partnership work (Ganon-Shilon & Schecter, 2017; Khalifa, Gooden &…

In 2022-2023, The RP Group surveyed over 7,000 African American/Black students across the California Community Colleges (CCC) system to further explore their transfer experiences. This report offers a selection of highlights from this comprehensive, statewide survey and specifically elevates findings related to the four core student experiences:…

During the last 60 years, national standardized testing has confirmed a gap in reading and math scores between White and Black students, often called the achievement, opportunity, equity, or race-based gap (Coleman et al., 1966; NCES, 2021). Researchers have attempted to identify factors that influence these student outcomes (Jayavant, 2016).…

Research for Action (RFA) studied why Black teachers were leaving their jobs more than White teachers in Allegheny County from 2014 to 2020. RFA analyses found that the number of Black teachers in the area was consistently dropping, more than the decrease in the overall Black population. The data gathered from speaking directly with 38 current and…

Since 2015, The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice has documented the significant challenges basic needs insecurity poses to students enrolled in higher education. Like many systemic issues, these insecurities existed long before the pandemic but have only been exacerbated by it. The Hope Center's latest national data on student basic…

In "Justice for Black Students: Black Principals Matter," Kofi Lomotey begins with a two-pronged premise: (1) Black students do not receive a quality education in US public (or private) schools, and (2) Black principals, like Black teachers, can make a positive impact on the academic and overall success of Black students. Through the…

Earning a college degree is a major pathway to economic mobility. Although Black women enter college at higher rates than white, Hispanic, and Black men (for example, in 2020, Black women enrolled in college at a 40% rate, compared to 37% for White men, 31% for Black men, and 30% for Hispanic men) they still face barriers to degree completion,…

Within the discipline of special education is academically gifted education, and this distinct area is not typically required as a topic of focus in traditional teacher preparation programs for regular education teachers. Therefore, it is essential that current research is conducted and published that provides educators, both general and special,…