Small school conversion and African-American student academic identity and aspiration

Abstract

Research on school size shows that a large comprehensive high school where many poor students and students of color are engaged in a rigorous curriculum that is relevant to their lives is not a common occurrence in our schools. Many of these students who graduate are not ready to do college-level work if they make it that far, and many are simply dropping out. The theory behind the small school conversion rests on the assumption that students who are nurtured in a small learning community will flourish academically due to a greater sense of belonging in the academic domain. This study focused on 13 high school students who are enrolled in five separate academies in a formerly large comprehensive high school. Their interpretations of daily lived experiences relative to their academic identity were captured. What they revealed offers the potential for addressing real obstacles to success and feelings of belonging for African-American students in small schools.