"Give Us the Mic!" Black Students' Reflections on School Reform and the Necessity of Centering Students as Stakeholders

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Advocating and Supporting Socially Just School Reform

Abstract

Whereas most studies on urban school reform focus solely on policy or structural issues, there is a need to consider student voices within these affected communities. This phenomenological study explores the past experiences of Black students in U.S. urban public schools. Using critical race theory as the theoretical and analytical framework, this study positions Black students as the experts within their own educational understandings. In doing so, participants provide individual reflections and detail critical needs in educational reform. Using semi-structured interviews and archival data, the study’s major findings provide insight into ways schools can better address African American student needs, including: curricular revisions, effective teacher hiring, and community partnerships. This research gives students critical agency into providing preemptive change.

Author

• Marcia J. Watson-Vandiver, Towson University