Achieving Excellence Academy: Critical Unschooling and the Promise of a Humanizing Education

• In Event: Redefining Leadership and Equity in Evolving Educational Spaces

Abstract

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Achieving Excellence Academy (AEA) engages DPS Students of Color (SOC), and their Teachers of Color (TOC), in an ethnic studies curriculum that is humanizing and culturally responsive, with the goal to increase student and teacher outcomes related to academic and ethnic/racial identity, emotional intelligence, and critical consciousness. In its third year, the AEA has served 175 Students of Color and 28 Teachers of Colors through a four-week summer enrichment program. Researchers from University X conducted a mixed methods study across three years of the program. Overall findings indicate positive AEA student and teacher outcomes that demonstrate the promise of a humanizing education.

Authors

• Maria del Carmen Salazar, University of Denver

• Nadia Alma Saldaña-Spiegle, University of Denver

• Ashlea Skiles, Denver Public Schools

• Marissa Martinez-Suarez, Denver Public Schools