{"id":{"repo_id":"houston","oai_identifier":"oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/20887"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/houston/oai:uh-ir.tdl.org:10657/20887","repository":{"repo_id":"houston","name":"University of Houston","base_url":"https://uh-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Equity in Education: Transforming Urban Middle Schools for Black Students Success","abstract":"Background: Black student achievement is not a new issue in our nation. There is a vast amount of research that shows there is an achievement gap for Black students compared to their peers. While the achievement gap reflects the educational disparities among student groups, it is closely linked to an opportunity gap which refers to unequal access to economic and social resources creating barriers to academic success. The concern for federal and state lawmakers should be first addressing the opportunity gap which exists in society to aid in closing the achievement gap in our nation's schools through effective research-based interventions. Purpose: The goal of this study were (a) to identify the extent to which the achievement gap is an issue for Black students in a large, urban school district in Texas, (b) to examine the differences in outcomes across the various types of middle schools in this district, by magnet program or not, Title I status or not, and geographic area of district (c) to examine the interaction of campus demographics of race/ethnicity and free and reduced meals (FARM) on the achievement gap. Method: This quantitative study used descriptive and causal comparative design elements to determine the difference in outcomes for Black students compared to their peers, in this large, urban school district in Texas. Archival data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and district website including campus level performance data for middle schools, Magnet campuses, Title Campuses, area of district, ethnicity, and free and reduced priced meals. The first analysis examined the percentage of students who Met the standard on the Reading and Science 2022 STAAR in middle school campuses. The second analysis explored the difference, if any, across the types of middle schools by middle school status of Magnet or not, Title I or not, and area of the district. The third analysis examined the interaction of race/ethnicity and FARM on the 2022 STAAR Reading and Science exam performance. Results: The analyses revealed a persistent achievement gap within this large, urban Texas district. Middle school “Meets” performance averages were concentrated at the lower end of the scale. Moreover, non-Title I campuses demonstrated substantially higher outcomes than Title I campuses, and Magnet campuses consistently outperformed non-Magnet campuses. Conclusion: This study supported the research that there is more than just an achievement gap that Black students are faced with but also an opportunity gap. It is evident systemic change is needed that employs successful interventions for Black students as provided. The action plan focused on professional learning through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, grounded in research on improving outcomes for Black students.","abstract_html":"Background: Black student achievement is not a new issue in our nation. There is a vast amount of research that shows there is an achievement gap for Black students compared to their peers. While the achievement gap reflects the educational disparities among student groups, it is closely linked to an opportunity gap which refers to unequal access to economic and social resources creating barriers to academic success. The concern for federal and state lawmakers should be first addressing the opportunity gap which exists in society to aid in closing the achievement gap in our nation's schools through effective research-based interventions. Purpose: The goal of this study were (a) to identify the extent to which the achievement gap is an issue for Black students in a large, urban school district in Texas, (b) to examine the differences in outcomes across the various types of middle schools in this district, by magnet program or not, Title I status or not, and geographic area of district (c) to examine the interaction of campus demographics of race/ethnicity and free and reduced meals (FARM) on the achievement gap. Method: This quantitative study used descriptive and causal comparative design elements to determine the difference in outcomes for Black students compared to their peers, in this large, urban school district in Texas. Archival data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and district website including campus level performance data for middle schools, Magnet campuses, Title Campuses, area of district, ethnicity, and free and reduced priced meals. The first analysis examined the percentage of students who Met the standard on the Reading and Science 2022 STAAR in middle school campuses. The second analysis explored the difference, if any, across the types of middle schools by middle school status of Magnet or not, Title I or not, and area of the district. The third analysis examined the interaction of race/ethnicity and FARM on the 2022 STAAR Reading and Science exam performance. Results: The analyses revealed a persistent achievement gap within this large, urban Texas district. Middle school “Meets” performance averages were concentrated at the lower end of the scale. Moreover, non-Title I campuses demonstrated substantially higher outcomes than Title I campuses, and Magnet campuses consistently outperformed non-Magnet campuses. Conclusion: This study supported the research that there is more than just an achievement gap that Black students are faced with but also an opportunity gap. It is evident systemic change is needed that employs successful interventions for Black students as provided. The action plan focused on professional learning through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, grounded in research on improving outcomes for Black students.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Nnate, Jasmine Eyim-Ejim 1988-"],"institution":"University of Houston","degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Professional Leadership, Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Hawkins, Jacqueline"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Aubrey-Davis, Mandele'","Jordan, Erica","Dulas, Heather"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-12","date_published":"2025-12","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:32:27Z","subjects":["Professional learning community","Collective efficacy","Black students","Opportunity gap","Equity","Highly effective teachers","Data-driven instruction","Culturally relevant pedagogy","School culture"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10657/20887","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Hawkins, Jacqueline"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Aubrey-Davis, Mandele'","Jordan, Erica","Dulas, Heather"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Nnate, Jasmine Eyim-Ejim 1988-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-02-08T06:07:50Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-12"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Professional Leadership, Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Houston"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Professional learning community","Collective efficacy","Black students","Opportunity gap","Equity","Highly effective teachers","Data-driven instruction","Culturally relevant pedagogy","School culture"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/20887"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Background: Black student achievement is not a new issue in our nation. There is a vast amount of research that shows there is an achievement gap for Black students compared to their peers. While the achievement gap reflects the educational disparities among student groups, it is closely linked to an opportunity gap which refers to unequal access to economic and social resources creating barriers to academic success. The concern for federal and state lawmakers should be first addressing the opportunity gap which exists in society to aid in closing the achievement gap in our nation's schools through effective research-based interventions. Purpose: The goal of this study were (a) to identify the extent to which the achievement gap is an issue for Black students in a large, urban school district in Texas, (b) to examine the differences in outcomes across the various types of middle schools in this district, by magnet program or not, Title I status or not, and geographic area of district (c) to examine the interaction of campus demographics of race/ethnicity and free and reduced meals (FARM) on the achievement gap. Method: This quantitative study used descriptive and causal comparative design elements to determine the difference in outcomes for Black students compared to their peers, in this large, urban school district in Texas. Archival data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and district website including campus level performance data for middle schools, Magnet campuses, Title Campuses, area of district, ethnicity, and free and reduced priced meals. The first analysis examined the percentage of students who Met the standard on the Reading and Science 2022 STAAR in middle school campuses. The second analysis explored the difference, if any, across the types of middle schools by middle school status of Magnet or not, Title I or not, and area of the district. The third analysis examined the interaction of race/ethnicity and FARM on the 2022 STAAR Reading and Science exam performance. Results: The analyses revealed a persistent achievement gap within this large, urban Texas district. Middle school “Meets” performance averages were concentrated at the lower end of the scale. Moreover, non-Title I campuses demonstrated substantially higher outcomes than Title I campuses, and Magnet campuses consistently outperformed non-Magnet campuses. Conclusion: This study supported the research that there is more than just an achievement gap that Black students are faced with but also an opportunity gap. It is evident systemic change is needed that employs successful interventions for Black students as provided. The action plan focused on professional learning through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, grounded in research on improving outcomes for Black students."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Equity in Education: Transforming Urban Middle Schools for Black Students Success"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Hawkins, Jacqueline"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Aubrey-Davis, Mandele'","Jordan, Erica","Dulas, Heather"],"dc:creator":["Nnate, Jasmine Eyim-Ejim 1988-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-02-08T06:07:50Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-12"],"dc:description.abstract":["Background: Black student achievement is not a new issue in our nation. There is a vast amount of research that shows there is an achievement gap for Black students compared to their peers. While the achievement gap reflects the educational disparities among student groups, it is closely linked to an opportunity gap which refers to unequal access to economic and social resources creating barriers to academic success. The concern for federal and state lawmakers should be first addressing the opportunity gap which exists in society to aid in closing the achievement gap in our nation's schools through effective research-based interventions. Purpose: The goal of this study were (a) to identify the extent to which the achievement gap is an issue for Black students in a large, urban school district in Texas, (b) to examine the differences in outcomes across the various types of middle schools in this district, by magnet program or not, Title I status or not, and geographic area of district (c) to examine the interaction of campus demographics of race/ethnicity and free and reduced meals (FARM) on the achievement gap. Method: This quantitative study used descriptive and causal comparative design elements to determine the difference in outcomes for Black students compared to their peers, in this large, urban school district in Texas. Archival data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and district website including campus level performance data for middle schools, Magnet campuses, Title Campuses, area of district, ethnicity, and free and reduced priced meals. The first analysis examined the percentage of students who Met the standard on the Reading and Science 2022 STAAR in middle school campuses. The second analysis explored the difference, if any, across the types of middle schools by middle school status of Magnet or not, Title I or not, and area of the district. The third analysis examined the interaction of race/ethnicity and FARM on the 2022 STAAR Reading and Science exam performance. Results: The analyses revealed a persistent achievement gap within this large, urban Texas district. Middle school “Meets” performance averages were concentrated at the lower end of the scale. Moreover, non-Title I campuses demonstrated substantially higher outcomes than Title I campuses, and Magnet campuses consistently outperformed non-Magnet campuses. Conclusion: This study supported the research that there is more than just an achievement gap that Black students are faced with but also an opportunity gap. It is evident systemic change is needed that employs successful interventions for Black students as provided. The action plan focused on professional learning through Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, grounded in research on improving outcomes for Black students."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10657/20887"],"dc:language.iso":["English"],"dc:subject":["Professional learning community","Collective efficacy","Black students","Opportunity gap","Equity","Highly effective teachers","Data-driven instruction","Culturally relevant pedagogy","School culture"],"dc:title":["Equity in Education: Transforming Urban Middle Schools for Black Students Success"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Professional Leadership, Education"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Houston"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:32:27Z"}