Obras de Ampliación

Data was collected in the form of one half to one hour interviews as well as the data that was collected from the District’s student data system. The data collected from the District’s student data system included: assessment scores, grade point average, and socio-economic status. Socio- economic status was based on whether a student received free or reduced price lunch. Students who received free or reduced price lunch met the Federal poverty guidelines. Specific socio- economic status data, like parent income, was not looked at initially. Socio-economic status was identified after students agreed to participate in this study. Using questions that were restructured based on lessons learned in the Research Assignment, the interview responses by the male participants was the main source of data collected and used. Each interview was audio recorded and transcribed. The transcribed interviews provided the data that was essential for analysis of this study. The perspectives from the interviewees of how these young men became or did not become successful were gathered during the interviews.

From the literature that was reviewed and the Research Assignment, it was hypothesized that positive relationships that academically successful African American males are the “how and why” that distinguishes them from their less successful peers. Thirdly, Yin states that during a case study, the researcher should specify the unit of analysis (2003). The unit of analysis for this research is high school, African American males, both successful and unsuccessful. It was the relationships that these young men possess will be looked at closely. These are the data collection steps that are recommended by Yin. Table 7 will describe the process used to identify potential participants all the way through to the actual interview.

Table 7. Process for Participant Selection

Step 1 Gain IRB Approval International Review Board approval will need to be gained first from the University of Pittsburgh. I will then need to gain IRB approval from the Pittsburgh Public Schools International Review Board. Once these approvals have been obtained I can move on to step two.

Step 2 Participant Identification

1. Currently enrolled students were identified using the PPS student information system none as RTI. Students will be selected for grade 12, age 18, ethnicity-African American, and gender, male.

2. Successful students were selected for a minimum 2.5 grade point average and a score of 3 (proficient) or 4 (advanced) on their Reading and Math PSSA.

3. Non-successful students were selected for a below 2.5 grade point average and a score of 2 (basic) or 1 (below-basic) on their Reading and Math PSSA.

4. The potential participant’s socio-economic status will be determined by whether they receive or do not receive free or reduced school lunch. Students that receive free or reduced school lunch are considered low- socio economic status.

Step 3 Participant Contact/Selection

1. Successful African American males were contacted through the AACAS Council and/or their school principal.

2. Non-academically successful African American males were recruited from the schools that the successful African American males attend in an attempt to gain a perspective regarding a similar school experience. 3. Willing participants were provided with a consent form to participate in

the study. Parental consent is not necessary for 18 year olds. Once consent forms are received, a letter will be provided to the student with thanks for his participation and an explanation of the study.

Step 4 Interview location 1. After consent forms are received from students, a date and time was scheduled with the participant for the interview at his school.

2. After the interview, if requested by the student a copy of their interview transcript was provided to the student in person as soon as the transcription was completed. These students had an opportunity to edit or make comments on the hard copy of the transcript to provide clarification or correction.

Table 8 provides the Interview Protocol and its link to the research questions. The questions in the interview protocol originated from the Research Assignment and the review of literature. Some of the original questions in the pilot were removed because they did not provide data relevant to African American male academic success. One of the questions was: Where do successful students sit in the class? The researchers wanted to see if successful students sat near the front of the room. All of the students in the study stated that students did not often sit in traditional rows in the classroom. Students could sit in groups in various locations within the room. Due to the information provided by students, it was decided in any future study to remove this question from the protocol. Also, there was a decision made to ask students to describe their attitude toward academic success. The goal was to see what attitude meant to the student first, so that it could be determined if there was a common definition that would help to tie together attitude toward academic success and effort. From the interviews, transcripts were made and data was collected from the participants. The analysis and interpretation steps in the data analysis section will be discussed.

Table 8. Summary of Data Collection Strategies for African American Male High School Academic Success

Research Questions Data Collection Method

Main Interview Questions Follow Up Questions Data Types

Q#1-what factors currently account for the success of a few African American males? What are the attitudes and behaviors that

consistently appear in African American males who perform successfully in the urban school environment?

Interviews with African American male students

1. What does it mean to be successful in your school?

a. Can you tell me about a successful student? b. Is success different for boys than for girls?

c. Is success different for black students than for white? (Boys tend to view school as a feminine undertaking and Black students are often experience low expectations by their teachers (Weis, 2004). These questions seek to confirm this perspective.

 Racial themes

 Success self- definitions

 Resiliency themes

Q#2-Do the attitudes and behaviors of successful African American males differ with grade point average? Grade point average information provided by the school district. Interviews with African American male students.

2. Take a moment and think about a particular male who you think is successful. Please describe him to me.

a. What does he do? b. How does he act?

c. What do other students think of him?

d. How does he interact with the teacher and other adults?

e. Describe his social life?

.  Racial themes  Relationship themes  Identity formation themes  Success self- definitions  Relationship themes 3. Please define attitude. a. What is your attitude toward academic success?

b. When did you develop this attitude? c. How has this attitude helped you?

d. Has anyone helped you develop this attitude? Q#3- Do academically

successful African American males have family support systems that contribute to high academic achievement?

Interviews with African American male students and possibly significant others like family where available. 4. Is academic success something to be shared? Why or why not?

a. Please provide an example of how success is shared? b. How should academic success be shared?

c. Who should academic success be shared with? d. What do you get from sharing academic success?

 Success self- definitions

 Relationship themes 5. What problems are

there with being academically successful?

a. Please give me one or two examples of a sacrifice, academically successful students would have to make?

b. Are there sacrifices that an African American male will have to make to be academically successful? Please say more.

c. Who would successful African American males go to for support?

 Identity formation themes

 Relationship themes

6. Would you consider yourself academically successful?

a. If someone asked you for evidence of this, what would you tell them?

b. Who or what do you contribute your success to?

 Identity formation themes