Championing Science Equity: Southern Black Principals Navigating Policy and Culture Challenges in Rural Schools

• In Event: Science Curriculum and Policy in the Rural South

Abstract

The lack of access to advanced science courses for rural students is a social and economic justice issue with life-long impacts on the students and their communities (Azano et al., 2020). Research acknowledges that inequities in resources and opportunities, along with disparities in “science preparation, literacy, and mathematics understanding,” lead to variations in students’ educational performance and science learning (National Academy of Science, 2011; Author, 2013, p. 273). However, less consideration has been given to “how curriculum and policy decisions impact student learning and student outcomes” (Author, 2013, p. 273). Recent Civil Rights Data (2023) shows that the percentage of schools offering advanced science courses is lower for schools with higher Black student enrollment and located in the rural South.

Current research on rural schools and science has traditionally focused on teachers' experiences in implementing various learning designs (Osman & Keiek, 2021). Less attention has been placed on principals’ roles in navigating science policy and implementing curriculum. Research suggests that principals, especially Black principals, have a large impact on the achievement of students of color and low-income students (Bartanen & Grissom, 2019; Darling-Hammond & Post, 2000; Grissom et al., 2021; Leithwood et al., 2004; Khalifa et al., 2016; National Association of Secondary School Principals [NASSP], 2019).

Black principals' perspectives are imperative given the historical context of Black principals, especially in the South, who have diligently worked as activists for their communities against racism and limited school resources (DeMatthews, 2018; Murtadha & Watts, 2005; Rousmaniere, 2013; Savage, 2001; Walker & Byas, 2003; Tillman, 2004).

Based on the gap in the literature surrounding how Black principals in the rural South navigate science policy and curriculum implementation, we ask the following questions:

1. How do state policies create barriers to science equity for Black students in the rural South?
2. How do Black principals in the rural South navigate science policies to implement curriculum in their schools?

Methods and Analysis. First, this paper relies on critical policy analysis to examine state policies surrounding science curriculum requirements. We collect policy documents from state education agencies’ websites to provide context to states’ standards and expectations for students. Critical policy analysis allows for an exploration of the distribution of resources and knowledge and the “difference between policy rhetoric and practiced reality” (Young & Diem, 2017). Then, to better understand how Black principals navigate these policies, this also study relies on semi-structured interviews with 20 Black principals in Alabama and North Carolina from 2019 to 2024. Interviews allow us to “make sense of [their] reality” (Morse & Field, 1996). The interviews, lasting a maximum of 60 minutes, will be conducted over Zoom or in person, audio recorded, transcribed, and coded with qualitative coding software. For data analysis, we will use inductive coding and thematic analysis to answer our research questions.

Combined these methods allow us to highlight how state education policy in the rural South affects educational, social, and economic opportunities that ensure equal access for all students.

Authors

• Kimberly Clarida, Michigan State University

• Sheneka M. Williams, Michigan State University

• Katherine M. Ward, Michigan State University

• Eno Idiagbonya, Michigan State University