This study investigated the relationship between racial identity attitudes and academic achievement among 26 urban African American high school students. Results suggest that academic achievement may be related to racial identity attitudes. Educational implications are discussed. (SLD)

This study of six young urban African American men, all in grades 10 or 11 at the time of the study, examined their experiences and the meanings they constructed of the high school diploma, their experiences in classrooms, and their relationships with family members and peers. The perspectives of these young men point to the importance of…

Analyzes the discourse styles, including linguistic practices, of African-American students at an urban high school. Concludes that students use Ebonics or Black English as the norm against which students evaluate other speech practices and that students construct standard English as a vernacular, a discourse to be disrespected…

While many speculative statements exist to indicate that aspirations of metropolitan Negro youth are high, little empirical evidence exists to document this thesis. This report provides findings from an analysis of the frames of aspirational reference of 281 sophomores from an all-Negro high school located in a low income ward of Houston, Texas.…

Studies 208 African-American urban high school students. Grade point average (GPA) and specific strategies for coping with day-to-day stressors were found to be significantly related to psychological adjustment. Students who had higher GPAs tended to use family members as means of solving problems, minimized problems by use of humor, and used…

This study examined the relationship between self-concept variables and academic achievement in 72 African American inner-city high school students. The self-concept variable of particular interest was racial self-concept, those perceptions about the self that develop as a result of racial identity. The hypothesis that racial and global…

Reports on an investigation of the out-of-school literacy practices of two African American urban high school students. Conclusions are drawn about the complex and productive ways these youths use literacy practices in their social environments. Implications are made for instruction using youth culture as a bridge to writing development. (SLD)

Describes two programs for African-American youth in Boston: "Kujenga," a Catholic leadership conference composed of Afrocentric plenary sessions, workshops, and liturgy, including African dance and art presentations; and "Street Outreach," a leadership training program within the context of evangelization, focusing on oral…

Presents an ethnographic portrait of class as it unfolds with race and gender in a black high school and community. Uses a cultural and relational framework to explore how students play between classes in ways that impact structural analyses of class and their implications for public policy. Contains 72 references. (Author/SLD)

The efficacy of signifying, a form of social discourse in the African American community, as a scaffold for teaching skills in literary interpretation was demonstrated with 52 urban high school students in an experimental group and 25 controls. Skill in signifying and social knowledge showed positive correlations with achievement. (SLD)

To determine the relationship between the educational and vocational aspirations of students in Grades 9 and 10 and their sex and family background, a random sample of urban youth from predominantly white public schools was surveyed. A followup survey of mainly black public schools made possible conclusions about all South Carolina ninth and tenth…

The effects were assessed of a test coaching program for urban Black youth, who intended to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), on their performance on quantitative items. Findings for 116 program participants are discussed in relation to the improvement of supplemental instructional programs. (TJH)

Studied the motivation of 60 black urban male tenth-graders, half achievers and half with lower achievement scores. Results suggest that if potential achievers are to be turned into achievers, teachers must focus on activities designed to foster intrinsic motivation. Techniques for working with low-income minority youth are outlined. (SLD)

The motivation to learn of African American high school students was examined by asking them about their favorite and least favorite classes. Two hundred and seventy-five students attending three urban high schools were randomly selected from their history classes to respond to a questionnaire on their perceptions of ability, goals, and reasons…

The dropout rate is one of the most critical issues that Canadian educators face. Based on a 3-year study in the greater Toronto area, this book established a new frame of reference for understanding the dropout dilemma. This book suggests that race, class, gender, and other forms of social difference can affect how education is delivered. For…