A Suburban School District Mentoring Programs’ Influence of Black Male Students’ Desire to Continue in Higher Education After High School

Background: According to Harper and Davis (2012), "Blacks experience school as social institutions that reinscribe hegemonic power structures, and therefore, they resist academic success to protect a collective cultural identity" (p. 106). This protection of their cultural identity is often seen as defiance and results in disciplinary actions, leading to distrust and a dislike for school structures (e.g., educators, administrators, policies, procedures, programs) and the institution of education. This view of education does not hold all parties accountable for the growth of Black male development in education, placing the onus and burden of developing a belief in education on the students. Creating safe and positive interactions can balance the students' educational experience. Purpose: This study aims to determine if the school-based mentoring of Black males attending Opportunity ISD mentoring program can influence their decisions to attend colleges and /or universities. This case study will give insight into the experiences of suburban school districts, and the program provides for students who are Black males with similar populations and socioeconomic surroundings. Yampolskaya et al. (2006) reported that "studies on mentoring have shown that failure to complete high school and poor academic performance can relate to serious adverse individual, social, and economic consequences" (p. 458). Gaining more insight into how mentoring in Opportunity ISD helps young Black men develop an interest in attending colleges and universities could potentially help their communities socially and economically. Methods: This study's methodology derives from the research questions, which will examine Opportunity ISD mentor programs' effectiveness in mentoring and improving Black males' interest in continuing their education after high school. The research is guided by Symbolic Interactionism theory. The researcher will rely on the school district to select participants with shared characteristics and features provided by the researcher. The district has a Black population in a suburban area outside of a major city in Texas. All senior Black male students in the Opportunity ISD program will be observed and interviewed along with the Black male graduates from the program. The three research questions designed to support the study drive the interview questions. Results: Previous researcher such at Walton and his colleges in the journal entitled; A culturally specific approach to mentoring young African American males. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, studied extensively about interventions and programs custom tailored to meet the needs of young Black and African American males unique to their cultural needs (Watson, et al., 2015). This research examined the Opportunity ISD’s mentoring program effectiveness in improving the interest of Black males' desire to continue their education after high school. The goal of my study was to determine if the school-based mentoring of Black males attending Opportunity ISD mentoring program can influence their decisions to attend colleges and /or universities. This section discusses the implications for each of the research questions presented in this study. Conclusion: The young men showed an abondance of emotional intelligence during the interviews and was able to articulate their personal experience concerning their conversations about attending a college or university. Their conversations about attending colleges ot university were about how important it can be, how it was a great experience, and how education is important, but it was rare for the mentor to take them through the applying process and the importance of an education specifically for a young Black man.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Professional Leadership, Education

Grantor

University of Houston

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Matthew, Jerimain Joseph 1979-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Johnson, Detra D.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Freelon, Rhoda
• Bell, Sanee
• Klussmann, Duncan

• Educational leadership

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10657/19599

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/19599