Superintendents' Beliefs and Identification of District Level Practices Contributing to the Academic Achievement of Black Males in the State of Georgia

The graduation rate for Black males in the state of Georgia during the 2003-04 school year as reported by the Schott Foundation was 39 percent. This was in stark contrast to a 54 percent graduation rate for non-Hispanic White males. Nationwide, more than 50 percent of Black males drop out of school compared to between 25 and 30 percent of all other student populations. Additionally, Black males are twice as likely as Black females to be in special education. More Black males receive their GED in prison than graduate from college. The purpose of this study was to explore superintendents' beliefs about and identification of district level practices contributing to the academic achievement of Black males in the state of Georgia. This qualitative study was a purposeful sampling of school superintendents' beliefs regarding the academic achievement of Black males and identification of district level practices believed to positively impact the academic achievement of school-aged Black males in the state of Georgia. Superintendents identified multiple factors, both internal and external, believed to impact the academic achievement of Black males in the state of Georgia. Factors identified by superintendents were both school and community based. While superintendents' beliefs about their role in impacting the academic achievement of Black males varied, the belief that superintendents can and should play a vital role in implementing district level practices to impact the academic achievement of Black males was universal. District level practices identified by superintendents as being implemented to impact the academic achievement of Black males varied among the superintendents and systems surveyed. District level practices as described by superintendents were multifaceted and particular to districts surveyed. The findings from this study enabled the researcher to make several recommendations regarding the academic achievement of Black males in the state of Georgia.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education in Education Administration (Ed.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation (open access)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Cordy, Hayward

Contributors dc:contributor

• Barbara Mallory
• James Klein

• ETD
• Black males
• Graduation rate
• Achievement gap
• Teacher perceptions
• Stereotype threat
• Teacher expectations
• Superintendents' role
• Student achievement
• Academic disidentification
• African American boys superintendents

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/203

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu:etd-1203