Will J. Jordan

Effects of Information, Guidance, and Actions on Postsecondary Destinations: A Study of Talent Loss

This study uses National Educational Longitudinal Study data to show that information about higher education, guidance, and essential preparatory actions taken by secondary students influence whether they will attend post-secondary educational institutions (PEIs) within 2 years of high school graduation, and, if so, what types of institutions. The conceptual framework is embedded in research on college choice and talent loss. Talent loss is described as the occurrence of promising students not reaching their full educational potential. Choice theory attempts to explain the myriad factors contributing to individuals’ postsecondary destinations. We find that increased levels of information, guidance, and critical actions taken are positively and significantly associated with initial enrollment in a 4-year PEI, as opposed to enrollment in a 2-year PEI (full or part time) or no enrollment. These factors explain a large part of the effect of socioeconomic status on postsecondary destination, controlling for high school achievement.

Exploring the Causes of Early Dropout among Race-Ethnic and Gender Groups

This study uses nationally representative high school student data to show raceethnicity and gender differences in reasons for early school dropout and plans for dropouts to resume their education. Factor analyses show that separate reasons for dropping out include school-related, family-related, and job-related causes, as well as influences from peers and residential mobility. White dropouts cited alienation from school more often than either African Americans or Hispanics of both sexes. African American males reported being suspended or expelled from school more than the other groups. Hispanic and African American females cited family-related reasons more often than did White females. The overwhelming majority of dropouts did have plans for resuming their education, which differed across race-ethnicity and gender. Male and female White dropouts planned to take equivalency tests; Hispanic adolescents favored attending alternative high schools; and African American adolescents planned to return to a regular high school to earn their diplomas. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

CULTURAL ISSUES IN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM

This articles primary interest is an exploration of the complexities of educational and social conditions encountered by African American males in public schools. It focuses on the ability and effectiveness of comprehensive school reform to overcome the barriers to learning that hinder the urban Black male student, such as concentrated poverty, drug use, and violence. Current trends in comprehensive school reform tend to overlook the importance of cultural relevancy and student/teacher cultural synchronization in educating Black males. As such, this article argues that efforts for the reform of policy and practice be conjoined with the recruitment of educators and school staff. Specifically, this article addresses the effectiveness of recruiting well-educated African American male teachers to teach in schools with large populations of African American male students.

High School Reform and Black Male Students: Limits and Possibilities of Policy and Practice.

An infusion of federal funding and philanthropic support for high schools has sparked an unprecedented number of educational reforms. Still, few initiatives confront the unique conditions facing Black male students. Despite efforts to reform ineffective schools and foster academic achievement for all students, there continues to be a lingering gap between affluent and poor as well as White and Black subgroups. This article explores the complexities of these issues. The authors examine the negative effects of intractable social barriers such as poverty and ineffective schooling. They suggest that currents trends reflect responsible approaches to reform but that the potential role of Black teachers has not been fully explored.

Catching Up: Effect of theTalent Development Ninth-Grade Instructional Interventions in Reading and Mathematics in High-Poverty High Schools

Little is known about the feasibility and rapidity with which the academic learning of students who enter high school multiple years behind grade level can be accelerated. This study uses multiple regression analyses of standardized test and survey data from high-poverty high schools in two large urban districts to evaluate initial effects of the Talent Development High Schools (TDHS) ninthgrade instructional program in reading and mathematics. Pre-, post-, and match-control comparisons show that students in TDHS significantly outperformed students in the control schools in mathematics and reading. Supplemental surveys show a higher percentage of students in TDHS reported learning new skills, strategies, and concepts, and TDHS teachers indicated they were able to use a more varied set of activities during extended periods, use cooperative learning strategies, engage students in group projects, and have students present multiple solutions or methods and relate their academic work to real-world experiences and examples.

The Promise of Desegregation Tendering Expectation and Reality in Achieving Quality Schooling

The debates about African American childrens school experiences have grown and progressed steadily since the 1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Education decision. The Brown decision provides a useful framework in which to examine how well U.S. public schooling has succeeded in helping African American children develop basic academic skills and in creating environments that foster social competencies for all children. This article focuses on the question: after 40 years and two to three new generations of African American children entering schools, have the responses of schools and society resulted in more than the appearance of change-in educational access, quality of learning outcomes, or increased possibilities and opportunities for academic learning and social success. Using four propositions to examine the social contexts, discontent, and circumstances leading to the Brown case and the ensuing issues, wefocus on the promises of desegregation and the persistence of repressed learning opportunities for many African American children, namely the disparity between desegregations potential to promote equal access and equal learning outcomes and its success in effecting change.