Critical Consciousness and Schooling: The Impact of the Community as Classroom Program on Academic Indicators

• In Event: 32.083 - Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 32.083-2 - Critical Literacy/Distance/Consciousness: Educating Teachers and Students for Equity

Abstract

The present study investigates the extent to which the development of critical consciousness improved the academic performance of students attending a low-performance school in Buffalo, New York. The students were enrolled in an academic support program called the “Community as Classroom,” which was designed to show the students how to use skills learned in the classroom to improve neighborhood conditions. We hypothesized that the academic performance of the students would improve when they saw the connection between schooling and their ability to bring about change in their community. We used standardized test scores, discipline referrals, grades, and attendance as surrogate measures of academic performance. A quantitative analysis of three years of academic data indicated improvement across attendance, tardies, and suspensions.

Authors

• Gavin Luter, University of Wisconsin

• Austin Mitchell, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Henry L Taylor, SUNY - Buffalo