The Promises of Reform: Exploring the Lived-Experiences of Black West Indian Girls Attending Small School of Choice in NYC (Poster 13)

• In Event: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research
  In Invited Poster Session: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research Poster Session

Abstract

In 2002 the Small Schools of Choice Initiative in New York City led to the closing of large failing high schools and the opening of hundreds of small schools. This reform promised low-income students, who typically would attend those failing schools’ access to viable schools. This research centers the experiences of 16 Black West Indian adolescent girls across two small schools. By exploring their lived experiences, this research examines the viability of these schools to determine if the reform delivered on its promise. Using interviews with the girls and educators, my study positions Black girls’ articulations of their lived experiences as critical insight for education policymakers and educators seeking to implement equitable education policy and school reform.

Author

• Khrysta A. Evans, University of Wisconsin - Madison