{"id":{"repo_id":"umkc","oai_identifier":"oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/112342"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/umkc/oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/112342","repository":{"repo_id":"umkc","name":"University of Missouri - Kansas City","base_url":"https://mospace.umsystem.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Psychological and academic preparedness of African American scholars for college and career readiness in urban schools","abstract":"This study explored the experiences of five Black graduates from a Midwestern urban high school and how racialized experiences of visibility and non-recognition shape students’ perceptions of college and career preparedness. Grounded in post-intentional phenomenology, BlackCrit, Ecological Systems Theory, self-awareness theory, and community cultural wealth, the study addressed the problem of narrowly defined notions of preparedness that fail to account for students’ lived, racialized experiences and the influence of instructional support within educational contexts. Findings revealed that students’ perceptions of preparedness are inseparable from racialized interactions across ecological systems—family, school, and community—which shaped their self-concept, agency, and racial identity. Experiences of being unseen, unheard, or misinterpreted contributed to internal questioning, even in the presence of academic success, illustrating preparedness as fluid and continuously negotiated. Consistent with BlackCrit, these experiences reflect the permanence of anti-Blackness in structuring students’ educational realities, while ecological systems theory highlights how these meanings are mediated across interconnected environments. Students ultimately articulated preparedness through self-determination and the alignment of personal goals with their evolving identities. Implications call for educational leaders to move beyond static, deficit-oriented definitions of readiness and to intentionally disrupt conditions of misrecognition through culturally sustaining, equity-centered leadership practices that recognize and leverage students’ existing cultural wealth.","abstract_html":"This study explored the experiences of five Black graduates from a Midwestern urban high school and how racialized experiences of visibility and non-recognition shape students’ perceptions of college and career preparedness. Grounded in post-intentional phenomenology, BlackCrit, Ecological Systems Theory, self-awareness theory, and community cultural wealth, the study addressed the problem of narrowly defined notions of preparedness that fail to account for students’ lived, racialized experiences and the influence of instructional support within educational contexts. Findings revealed that students’ perceptions of preparedness are inseparable from racialized interactions across ecological systems—family, school, and community—which shaped their self-concept, agency, and racial identity. Experiences of being unseen, unheard, or misinterpreted contributed to internal questioning, even in the presence of academic success, illustrating preparedness as fluid and continuously negotiated. Consistent with BlackCrit, these experiences reflect the permanence of anti-Blackness in structuring students’ educational realities, while ecological systems theory highlights how these meanings are mediated across interconnected environments. Students ultimately articulated preparedness through self-determination and the alignment of personal goals with their evolving identities. Implications call for educational leaders to move beyond static, deficit-oriented definitions of readiness and to intentionally disrupt conditions of misrecognition through culturally sustaining, equity-centered leadership practices that recognize and leverage students’ existing cultural wealth.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kelly, Ann Frances"],"institution":"University of Missouri--Kansas City","degree_name":"Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"Education (UMKC)","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["McCarther, S. 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Experiences of being unseen, unheard, or misinterpreted contributed to internal questioning, even in the presence of academic success, illustrating preparedness as fluid and continuously negotiated. Consistent with BlackCrit, these experiences reflect the permanence of anti-Blackness in structuring students’ educational realities, while ecological systems theory highlights how these meanings are mediated across interconnected environments. Students ultimately articulated preparedness through self-determination and the alignment of personal goals with their evolving identities. Implications call for educational leaders to move beyond static, deficit-oriented definitions of readiness and to intentionally disrupt conditions of misrecognition through culturally sustaining, equity-centered leadership practices that recognize and leverage students’ existing cultural wealth."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Psychological and academic preparedness of African American scholars for college and career readiness in urban schools"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["McCarther, S. Marie"],"dc:creator":["Kelly, Ann Frances"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-06-23T19:08:30Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-06-23T19:08:30Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026"],"dc:description":["Title from PDF of title page, viewed June 30, 2026","Vita","Dissertation advisor: S. Marie McCarther","Includes bibliographical references (pages 262-296)","Dissertation (Ed.D.)--Department of Education. 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Experiences of being unseen, unheard, or misinterpreted contributed to internal questioning, even in the presence of academic success, illustrating preparedness as fluid and continuously negotiated. Consistent with BlackCrit, these experiences reflect the permanence of anti-Blackness in structuring students’ educational realities, while ecological systems theory highlights how these meanings are mediated across interconnected environments. Students ultimately articulated preparedness through self-determination and the alignment of personal goals with their evolving identities. 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