Advancement Impacts of Academic and Social Excellence Policies of a Ninth-Grade Academy on African American Male On-Time Promotion to 10th Grade

• In Event: 69.044 - Research and Scholarship From Within the Trenches

Abstract

The ninth grade year is the most challenging year of high school and transiting from middle to high school is wrought with experiences not encountered at the middle school level. Challenges that include a large, comprehensive high school, encountering new teachers, introduction to a more rigorous curriculum, and having to navigate through an unfamiliar learning environment can make for a challenging first year of high school. These challenges coupled with poor school attendance, behavioral infractions, and poor course grades can lead to ninth grade retention and in many cases individual students dropping out of school, specifically for African American males. An on-time promotion to the tenth grade is a critical component to graduating high school on time. The general purpose of this qualitative exploratory single-case study is to explore and describe the effects of one ninth grade academy on the tenth grade promotion of African-American males. The specific purpose of this research study is to understand the perceptions of African-American males who participated in a ninth grade academy so other school district leaders may consider the impact of a ninth grade academy. This research study will rely on three data sources: semi-structured one-on-one interviews, archival data specific to sample participants’ attendance, disciplinary records, core course performance, grade point average, and credit accrual during their ninth grade year, and an analysis of current themes in the literature relative to small learning communities (SLCs).

Author

• Teresa A Lance, Harrison School District Two