An African American Student Networking Group in an Urban High School: Experiences and Outcomes

Abstract

Educational disparities are deeply entrenched in U.S. society. Our research focused on a move toward equity and investment in one Midwestern charter school via the implementation of the African American Student Network. Participants were 15 male and 15 female students in Grades 9 to 12 who participated in the network for one semester. Qualitative analysis of focus group interviews revealed that students in the network experienced safety, support, empowerment, affirmation, and connectedness. Quantitative analysis revealed that pre-and post-test grade point averages (GPAs), disciplinary referrals, and attendance trended in promising directions although there were no statistically significant differences.

(En)Countering a White Racial Frame at a Predominantly White Institution: The Case of The African American Student Network

“…The AFAM model has been adapted and studied for students as young as high school. For example, Gbolo and Grier-Reed (2016) found that having AFAM groups for Black high school students resulted in experiences of safety, support, empowerment, affirmation, and connectedness in their school. Note this is in stark contrast to the experiences of denigration we uncovered in the current study when analyzing AFAM students' discussions of high school.…”

Urban Education and Academic Success: The Case of Higher Achieving Black Males

“…The important questions become: “Where are the successful stories?” and “How best can these successful stories be told?” Fortunately, the counternarrative scholarship or the positive experiences of Black males in education are growing at the K-12 and higher education levels. At the K-12 level, for example, we have scholarly works such as Davis (2003), Milton-Williams and Bryan (2016), McGee and Pearman (2014), Gbolo and Grier-Reed (2016), Kumi-Yeboah (2016), and Taylor, Kyere, and King (2018) among others. These works examined the positive experiences of Black males in the K-12 system with emphasis on the following topics: mathematically talented students, benefits of student networking and academic success, and the success of after school programs for Black males.…”

Incorporating Humanistic Values and Techniques in a Culturally Responsive Therapeutic Intervention for African American College Students

“…He developed a set of four networks for the school by grade and gender focused on ninth-and 10th-grade girls, ninth-and 10th-grade boys, 11th-and 12th-grade girls, and 11th-and 12th-grade boys. Focus group data revealed that students found safety, support, empowerment, affirmation, and connectedness in the high school networks, and students wanted more such spaces in their school (Gbolo & Grier-Reed, 2016). These findings echo those at the college level identified by Grier-Reed et al (2008).…”