Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Sherilyn W. Poole
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic achievement, academic tutorials, African American students, African Americans, arts education, arts faculty, arts magnet program, arts magnet school, career advising, career-day fair, choice-magnet education, classical arts education, classical music, collaboration, cultural sensitivity, culturally sensitive, diversity, dropout research, Florida, intervention, magnet schools, mentors, mentoring, mentorship, Project REACH, retention, retention plan, self-esteem, student retention, teacher student relationship, volunteer mentorship teams, withdrawal, White students
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to establish a retention plan useful for retaining African American students in an arts magnet school. The implementation phase of this report is referred to as Project REACH (Representing Ethnic Artists for Cross-Cultural Harmony). It features a core arts learning style, including volunteer mentorship teams, a modified version of a career-day fair, and academic tutorials monitored by the arts faculty. The emphasis was on the reciprocal responsibilities of both the African American students and the arts faculty and staff. The ability of the arts magnet school to both attract African American students and provide a framework for an effective retention program was the key focus of this study.
Schools with themes targeted for particular students have long been a part of Florida’s education system. However, retaining an acceptable number of African American students compared to White students in those themed schools has been a growing concern. During the implementation period of this study, the concept of choice-magnet education has received a strong boost from this applied dissertation. It suggested that African American students would most probably be retained at a rate comparable to White students if a culturally sensitive, comprehensive retention program that promotes an atmosphere of collaboration, diversity, and academic achievement was a part of the mission of the school.
The report addresses several questions: What are the reasons African American students withdraw from the arts program? When do they withdraw and what is their profile? What is an appropriate method of intervention for mentoring the retention and withdrawal of African American students? What type of interventions can be developed to encourage the African American retention rate in the program? Finally, what would be the appropriate evaluation procedure to determine the effectiveness of the intervention plan?
In this report, the writer explored the root of the gap between African American students and classical arts education. Further, Project REACH discussed the issues involved in evaluating and implementing an appropriate retention plan for African American students in the arts magnet program.