Mandating an Elective? The Implementation of Black and Latino Studies Courses in Connecticut High Schools

• In Event: The Institutionalization of K-12 Ethnic Studies: Implementing Innovative Curricula across Diverse Social and Political Contexts

Abstract

Objectives
In December 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed a bill requiring all high schools to offer elective courses on African-American, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino Studies. This statewide mandate, commonly called the “Black and Latino Studies Elective,” was the first of its kind to be enacted. However, the legislation requires that schools offer, but not teach, an elective course, allowing districts and schools to determine that the course may not, in fact, be taught due to enrollment or programming challenges. We examine which students have access to the Black and Latino Studies elective and how this mandate is being implemented in Connecticut high schools

Theoretical Framework & Related Literature
An expansive body of research shows that school and district leaders play central roles in interpreting, negotiating, and enacting legislative mandates (Coburn et al., 2009; Honig & Hatch, 2004; Spillane et al., 2002). We build on this body of work, demonstrating that policy “implementation is a complex and highly contingent enterprise” (Honig, 2006, p. 4).
The nature of contingent implementation is particularly pressing in light of a widespread understanding that Ethnic Studies courses play a particularly important role for racially marginalized students (Bonilla et al., 2021; Cabrera, 2019; Sleeter & Zavala, 2020). In contrast, more than 50% of students are White in 140 of 177 Connecticut school districts. This raises the question of which students have access to these courses and how schools implement the mandate.

Data Sources
We surveyed teachers, department heads, and administrators across Connecticut about their experiences with the mandate in the 2023-24 academic year. We gathered responses from 80% of the state’s public, magnet, independent, and technical high schools, for a sample of 154 schools in 121 public school districts. We followed up by interviewing teachers and administrators at 35 schools that responded to our initial survey.

Findings
118 of the 154 schools that responded to our survey (76%) taught the course in 2023-24.
Of the districts not teaching the class in 23-24, 86% of the respondents cited low enrollment as the primary reason it was not taught.
Schools are more likely to teach the course if they enroll more Black, African American, or Hispanic/Latine students and fewer White students.
Larger schools are more likely to teach the course than smaller schools.
Preliminary analysis of the interview data indicates that many staff and students perceive this as a course benefitting primarily Black and Latino students. This perceived purpose informs how schools recruit students to the elective and select staff to teach it.

Implications
Based on these findings, we recommend that state policymakers and administrators develop practices to monitor and report which schools are and are not teaching this course, offer targeted support to schools not teaching the course, and offer schools increased flexibility in course design. We also suggest that school and district administrators develop clear guidelines for course recruitment, enrollment, and scheduling; offer teachers a wide variety of training and support resources; and consider allowing students to use course credits to meet graduation requirements.

Authors

• Hannah Cooke, University of Connecticut

• Alexandra J. Freidus, University of Connecticut

• Janak Raj Pant, University of Connecticut