This is a study of five high schools awarded external funding to implement a project, the African American Male Initiative (AAMI). During the first year of implementation, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and student academic transcripts provided sources of data. Survey data showed that AAMI students exhibited high aspirations and anticipations for college. In addition, significant positive correlations were found between the number of people students communicate with about college and financial aid requirement information and their level of college knowledge. Characteristics such as African American male mentoring and advocacy, raised expectations, and forming a “brotherhood” emerged from focus group data.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AdelmanC. (1999). Answers in the tool box: Academic intensity, attendance patterns and bachelor's degree attainment.Washington, DC: US. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
2.
AdelmanC. (2006). The toolbox revisited: Paths to degree completion from high school though college.Washington, DC: US. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.
3.
AllenW. R. (1992). The Color of Success: African-American College Student Outcomes at Predominantly White and Historically Black Public Colleges and Universities. Harvard Educational Review, 62(1), 26–45.
4.
ArbonaC., & NoraA. (2007). The influence of academic and environmental factors on Hispanic degree attainment. The Review of Higher Education, 30(3). 247–269.
5.
AzmitiaM., & CooperC. (2001). Good or bad? Peer influence on Latino and European American adolescents' pathways through school. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 6, 45–71.
6.
BanksJ. (1998). The lives and values of researchers: Implications for educating citizens in a multicultural society. Educational Researcher, 27(7), 4–17.
7.
BaumanK. J., & GrafN. L. (2003). Educational Attainment: 2000. Census 2000 Brief.Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.
8.
BowenW. G., ChingosM. M., & McPhersonM. S. (2009). Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities.Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
9.
BrykA. S., & SchneiderB. (2002). Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement.New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
10.
BurkeP. J. (2006). Men accessing education: Gendered aspirations. British Educational Research Journal, 32(5), 719–733.
11.
CarterD. F. (2001). A dream deferred? Examining the degree aspirations of African-American and white college students.New York: Routledge Farmer.
12.
CollinsP. H. (1990). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment.New York: Routledge.
13.
CollinsP. H. (1995). The social construction of Black feminist thought. In Guy-SheftallB. (Ed.), Word of fire: An anthology of African American feminist thought (pp. 338–357). New York: The New Press.
14.
DatnowA., & CooperR. (1997). Peer networks of African American students in independent schools: Affirming academic success and racial identity. Journal of Negro Education, 66, 56–72.
15.
FlowersL. A. (2004). Examining the effects of student involvement on African American college student development. Journal of College Student Development, 45(6), 633–654.
16.
FordD. Y., HarrisJ. J.III, & SchuergerJ. M. (1993). Racial identity development among gifted black students: Counseling issues and concerns. Journal of Counseling and Development, 71(4), 409–417.
17.
FosterM. (1987). Effective black teachers: A literature review. In HollinsE. R., KingJ. E., & HaymanW. C. (Eds.), Teaching diverse populations (pp. 225–242). New York: SUNY Press.
18.
FullanM. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gandara, P. (2002). A study of High School Puente: What we have learned about preparing Latino youth for postsecondary education. Educational Policy, 16(4), 474–495.
19.
GilloryK. S. (2007). Assessment of social support and peer influence as factors contributing to high school completion among African American males. A dissertation.
20.
GordonD. M., IwamotoD., WardN., PottsR., & BoydE. (2009). Mentoring urban Black middle-school male students: Implications for academic achievement. Journal of Negro Education, 78(3), 277–289.
21.
GrieveK. A. (2009). Urban African American Male High School Students' Educational Aspirations for College and the Influence of Family, School and Peers. A dissertation.
22.
HaleJ. E. (2001). Learning while black.Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
23.
HarperS. R. (2005). Leading the way: Inside the experiences of high-achieving African American male students. About Campus, 10(1), 8–15.
24.
HébertT. H., & ReisS. M. (1999). Culturally diverse high-achieving students in an urban high school. Urban Education, 34, 428–457.
25.
HolzmanM. (2006). Public education and black male students: The state report card. Schott Educational Inequity Index, Cambridge, MA: The Schott Foundation for Public Education.
26.
HookerS., & BrandB. (2009). Success at every step: How 23 programs support youth on the path to college and beyond.Washington, DC: American Youth policy Forum.
27.
HowardT. C. (2003). Who receives the short end of the shortage? Implications of the US teacher shortage on urban schools. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 18(2), 142–160.
28.
HubbardL. (2005). The role of gender in academic achievement. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 18(5), 605–623.
29.
KaoG., & TiendaM. (1998). Educational aspirations of minority youth. American Journal of Education, 106, 349–384.
30.
KleinfeldJ. (1975). Effective teachers of Eskimo and Indian students. The School Review, 83(2), 301–344.
31.
Ladson-BillingsG. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
32.
LevinH. M., BelfieldC., MueningP., & RouseC. (2007). The public returns to public educational investments in African-American males. Economics of Education Review26, 700–709.
33.
LewisS., SimonC., UzzellR., HorwitzA., & CasserlyM. (2010). A call for change: The social and educational factors contributing to the outcomes of black males in urban schools.Washington, DC: The Council of Great City Schools.
34.
LozanoA., WattK. M., HuertaJ. (2009). A comparison study of 12th grade Hispanic students' college anticipations, aspirations, and college preparatory measures. American Secondary Education, 38(1), 92–110.
35.
MehanH., VillanuevaI., HubbardL., & LintzA. (1996). Constructing school success: The consequences of untracking low-achieving students.Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
36.
MendiolaI. D., WattK. M., HuertaJ. (2010). The impact of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) on Mexican American students enrolled in a four-year university. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 9(3), 209–220.
37.
MertonR. K. (1972). Insiders and outsiders: A chapter in the sociology of knowledge. American Journal of Sociology, 78(1), 9–47.
38.
NasirN. S., McLaughlinM. W., & JonesA. (2009). What does it mean to be African American? Constructions of race and academic identity in an urban public high school. American Educational Research Journal, 46(1), 73–114.
39.
NoddingsN. (1984). Caring, a feminine approach to ethics & moral education.Berkeley: University of California Press.
40.
NoddingsN. (1992). The challenge to care in schools: An alternative approach to education. Advances in contemporary educational thought series, Vol. 8. New York: Teachers College Press.
41.
NogueraP. A., & WingJ. Y. (2006). Unfinished business: Closing the achievement in our schools.San Francisco, CA: Josey Bass.
42.
PangV. O., & GibsonR. (2001). Concepts of democracy and citizenship: Views of African American teachers. The Social Studies, 92(6), 260–266.
43.
PitreP. E. (2006). College choice: A study of African American and White students' aspirations and perceptions related to college attendance. College Student Journal, 40(3) 562–574.
44.
RayK., CarleyS. M., & BrownD. (2009). Power of mentoring African American males in community colleges. In Professor FriersonHenry T. (Ed.) Black American males in higher education: Diminishing proportions. Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 6 (pp. 271–297). New York: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
45.
RhodesJ. E., GrossmanJ. B., & ReschN. L. (2000). Agents of change: Pathways through which mentoring relationships influence adolescents' academic adjustment. Child Development, 71, 1662–1671.
46.
SchwartzR. A., & WashingtonC. M. (2002). Predicting academic performance and retention among African American freshmen men. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 39(4), 351–367.
47.
SteinbergL., DornbuschS. M., & BrownB. B. (1992). Ethnic difference in adolescent achievement: An ecological perspective. American Psychologist, 47(6), 723–729.
48.
St. JohnE.P. (1991). What really influences minority attendance? Sequential analysis of the high school and beyond sophomore cohort. Research in Higher Education, 23(2), 141–158.
49.
SwailW. S. (2000). Preparing America's disadvantaged for college: Programs that increase college opportunity. In CabreraA. F., and La NasaS. M. (Eds.), Understanding the college choice of disadvantaged students (pp. 85–101). San Francisco: Jossey–Bass.
50.
ThompsonM. S., GorinJ. S., ObeidatK., & ChenY. H. (2006). Academic precursors of underrepresented groups in higher education: Findings from multiple data sources. Journal of Negro Education, 75(3), 546–562.
51.
TillmanL. C. (2002). Culturally sensitive research approaches: An African American perspective. Educational Researcher, 31(9), 3–12.
52.
TillmanL. C. (2006). Researching and writing from an African American perspective: Reflective notes on three research studies. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 19(3), 265–287.
53.
TrustyJ., & NilesS. G. (2003). High-school math courses and completion of the bachelor's degree. Professional School Counseling, 7, 99–107.
54.
UwahC. J., McMahonH. G., & FurlowC. F. (2008). School belonging, educational aspirations, and academic self-efficacy among African American male high school students: Implications for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11(5), 296–305.
55.
VasquezJ. (1988). Contexts of learning for minority students. The Education Forum, 52, 243–253.
56.
WahlH. K., & BlackhurstA. (2000). Factors affecting the occupational and educational aspirations of children and adolescents. Professional School Counseling, 3(5), 367–374.
57.
WalkerI. (2006). Student achievement and university classes: Effects of attendance, size, peers, and teachers. Retrieved from http://ssrn.com/abstract=955298
58.
WarburtonE. C., BugarinR., & NuñezA. M. (2001). Bridging the gap: Academic preparation and postsecondary success of first-generation students.National Center for Education Statistics.
WattK. M., HuertaJ., & LozanoA. (2007). A comparison of AVID and GEAR UP 10th Grade Students in Two High Schools in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 12(22), 185–212.
61.
WattK. M., JohnstonD., MendiolaI. D., HuertaJ., & AlkanE. (2008). Retention of first-generation college-going seniors in the college preparatory program AVID. American Secondary Education, 36(4), 17–40.
62.
WattK. M., PowellC. A., MendiolaI. D., & CossioG. (2006). School-wide impact and AVID: How have selected Texas high schools addressed the new accountability measures?Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 11(1), 57–73.
63.
YonezawaS., WellsA. S., & SernaI. (2002). Choosing tracks: “Freedom of choice” in detracking schools. American Educational Research Journal, 39(1), 37–67.
