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This case study investigation of three Academically Gifted African American male high school seniors in a predominantly African American urban high school examines the interplay between their ethnic and academic identity. Using an embedded micro-ethnographic approach, we explore the extent to which these students value educational attainment, the extent to which they connect with their ethnicity, and those ''significant others'' who inhibit or dissuade the development of their ethnic and/or academic identity. Consistent with the conclusions of more recent educational literature, findings indicate participants in this investigation value the purpose and intent of schooling and the mobility associated with it, express ''Blackness'' is an essential component of their academic achievement and overall self concept, and credit people within their immediate social network for opening their eyes to social injustices within the world at an early age. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

To estimate the effects of adaptive eacation on cognitive, affective, and behavioral outcomes of learning, 309 effect sizes were calculated using statistical data from 38 studies that contained a combined sample of approximately 7,200 students. The substantial mean of the study-weightfid effect sizes is .45, suggesting that the average student in adaptive programs scores at the 67th percentile of control group distributions. The effects appear constant across grades, socioeconomic levels, races, private and public schools, and community types. In addition, the effects are not significantly different across the categories of adaptiveness, student outcomes, social contexts, and methodological rigor of the studies. (Author)

In this study, differential prediction of student outcomes by race and teacher traits relative to the certification levels of novice teachers was assessed. Overall, algebra achievement was higher for students who were taught by teachers with standard certificates relative to students who were taught by novice teachers with nonstandard certificates. The most conservative estimates show that findings are equivalent to approximately 8 months of additional instruction for students who were taught by teachers with standard certificates. However, the benefits of being taught by a teacher with standard certification did not translate to underrepresented racial groups. Overall, there were several differences in dispositions across certification conditions. With respect to underrepresented racial groups, only one disposition was significantly different across conditions. Teachers with nonstandard certificates reported higher emphasis on increasing mathematics interests. For underrepresented racial groups, relationships between both certification conditions and achievement were underwhelming. Recommendations to improve teacher effectiveness are provided.

Background/Context This article summarizes an increasing trend of antideficit Black male research in mathematics and highlights opportunities to add to the research. A review of the literature shows that antideficit researchers often examine relationships between individual traits and persistence of high-achieving Black males in mathematics. However, opportunities for additional antideficit research include examining relationships between organizational decisions and persistence of high-achieving Black males. Research Question Which organizational practices predict persistence among Black males in 11th grade who have demonstrated high mathematics potential in ninth grade. Population Data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) were used in this study to identify a national sample of high-achieving Black males. Publicly-available data from the base year (2009–2010) and the first follow-up year (2011–2012) were used in this study to examine Black male persistence in high achievement categories from ninth to 11th grades. The sample was limited to public school Black males with mathematics achievement scores in the top two national quintiles. More than 31,000 students (weighted estimates) met the study's requirements and were included in this study. Research Design Using optimal resource theory (Anderson, 2015), logistic and multiple regression was used to examine the relationships between school-based practices in ninth grade and student outcomes in 11th grade. Findings/Results Of the Black males who demonstrated high potential in ninth grade and matriculated to pre-calculus in 11th grade, 61% earned mathematics scores in the top 20%, nationally. Contrarily, only 18% of the Black males who demonstrated high potential in ninth grade, but did not matriculate to pre-calculus in 11th grade earned mathematics scores in the top 20%, nationally. Additionally, of the extracurricular activities that were examined, findings show that partnerships with community colleges and universities, science and mathematics guest speakers, and science/math-related field trips were related to increased mathematics efficacy after two years. Teacher sorting practices and professional development activities that were examined in this study were not reliably predictive of student outcomes. Conclusions/Recommendations This study uses national data to demonstrate that some common organizational practices are more beneficial to high-achieving Black males than others. In particular, this study highlights the importance of developing course progress monitoring and support plans to increase the likelihood of persistence—future high achievement and beliefs about ability—for Black males who have demonstrated high potential in ninth grade. Opportunities for future research are also discussed.