Elevating Black student voices: The underrepresentation of Black high school students in Advanced Placement courses

Boykin, Choya The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program was created in 1952 to accelerate academically gifted students’ enrollment and graduation from prestigious colleges and universities (Rothschild, 1999). Most Black students, with the same academic preparation as their White peers, are significantly less likely to enroll in an AP course (College Board, 2020). The intent of this research was to elevate Black student voices and experiences so that educational leaders can gain greater insight into how to eliminate barriers to enrollment for Black students in AP courses, such that Black students can fully participate and be advantaged by a school curriculum that is a gateway to a future of educational and economic advantage already afforded to their White peers. The literature review for this study is a comprehensive review of educational research related to topics of (a) the history of marginalization in American schools, (b) the Black-White achievement gap, (c) ability tracking, and (d) the Advanced Placement program. Additionally, it highlights the lack of scholarly literature that elevates the voices of Black high school students to understand the underrepresentation of Black student enrollment in AP courses. A narrative research design was used in this research study. The conceptual framework used to investigate the experiences of Black students in AP courses was social reproduction theory, which calls for the researcher to focus on ways in which Black students and their voices are historically marginalized in educational systems. Six themes emerged from the raw data (a) Theme 1: Quality Student College Advisement is Important but Insufficient, (b) Theme 2: Advanced Placement Teachers Matter, (c) Theme 3: Low Black Student Representation, (d) Theme 4: Barriers, Barriers, Barriers, (e) Theme 5: GIOMO – Got It On My Own, and (f) Theme 6: Black Student Voices to Future AP Students. Advanced Placement courses should not be for the privileged and the few Black students who dare to be different. The system’s culture must change to lift the students’ voices, potential, opportunity, and success.

Grantor dc:publisher

Alverno College

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Boykin, Choya

• High school students, Black
• Advanced placement programs (Education)

Statement dc:rights

• These materials may be used by individuals and libraries for personal use, research, teaching (including distribution to classes), or for any fair use as defined by U.S. Copyright Law.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://alverno.omeka.net/items/show/837

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:alverno.omeka.net:837