In this groundbreaking and timely volume Vernon Polite and James Earl Davis have brought together the perspectives and research findings of eminent scholars who study the educational and social lives of African American males. The result is a volume that brims with new outlooks and viewpoints—a refreshing departure from pervasive and oftentimes stereotypical literature about the African American male experience—and gives the reader access to prevalent issues affecting this population today. Thoughtful attention is paid to broader outcomes such as educational attainment, job procurement, and quality of life. These topics are discussed against the backdrop of student background and schooling with the overall aim of improving the academic and social outcomes of this population. “At last, a comprehensive look at the most salient issues that affect the future of African American men. This book provides much more than a ray of hope; it is replete with recommendations and practices that, if implemented, will positively impact educational and social outcomes. Every educator and parent who grapples with the dilemma of educating Black boys and young men should read this book.” —Robert Peterkin, Ph.D., Harvard University's Urban Superintendents Program “School administrations serious about addressing the underachievement and underdevelopment of African American boys and youths will find in this book theoretical and methodological approaches (e.g., practical, just–in–time strategies for implementation). . . . This book will empower readers who are committed to equity and excellence for African American male students.” —Gwendolyn J. Cooke, Ph.D., Director, Urban Services, National Association of Secondary School Principals

The Achievement Gap among students of various races has been a national issue for well over a decade, creating a platform for discussion, interventions, program development, and research. This book looks at achievement through a gifted lens. Identified African American males classified as gifted, according to state adopted standards, who were in the same schools, in the same classes, with the same teachers as their white counterparts, were performing at lower levels. This book delves into the myriad of factors influencing underachievement: individual, societal, family, and school. However, this research focused on school factors and involved six African American middle school males who had attended a gifted magnet school for five to seven years and had been identified as underachievers the entirely of their school careers. The boys were given a battery of tests and inventories to measure school influences, and an action inquiry group of teachers was established to develop interventions to interrupt the cycle of underachievement. This book explains the results of the study and the recommendations for further studies in the field of underachieving gifted African American males.

The circumstances affecting many African American males in schools and society remain complex and problematic. In spite of modest gains in school achievement and graduation rates, conditions that impede the progress of African American males persist: high rates of school violence and suspensions, overrepresentation in special education classes, poor access to higher education, high incidence of crime and incarceration, gender and masculine identity issues, and HIV/AIDS and other health crises. The essays gathered here focus on these issues as they exist for males in grades K-12 and postsecondary education in Michigan. However, the authors intend their analyses and policy recommendations to apply to African American males nationally. Although it recognizes the current difficulties of this population overall, this is an optimistic volume, with a goal of creating policies and norms that help African American males achieve their educational and social potential. In this era of widespread change for all members of American society-regardless of race-this book is a must-read for educators and policymakers alike.

Engage in exploratory discussion on African American male achievement. Why do some students return to school year after year excited and engaged? Why do other students dread school, have negative feelings toward school, or feel unequipped by the challenge or demands of school? Educating African American Males offers multiple perspectives on this topic from top scholars in the field of urban education. Contributions in this book represent the proceedings from a conference co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and Howard University and devoted to African American male achievement. This exciting new resource brings this important discussion to the field and offers unique perspectives covering sociological, emotional, economic, pedagogical, and cognitive realms. Educating African American Males makes bold strides in moving away from low test scores, high dropout and expulsion rates, and high disciplinary problems, and toward the constructive aim of achieving high-quality education for all students.

ABSTRACT: The researcher examines the relationship between school, family, and student level factors and black male academic underachievement. This project used a 1997 data set consisting of a black male sub sample of 463 of Charlotte-Mecklenburg middle school 8th grade English classes. The researcher found that each factor contributed to low levels of academic outcomes for black males in middle school. The strongest school predictor resulted in measure of teacher quality. Schools that have few teachers with tenure, degrees beyond a BA, and years of experience tend to negatively affect student achievement. Family levels predictors largely exist in the form of parental involvement. When parents are more involved with their child's educational process, children usually do better in school. As for black males themselves, the strongest predictor of middle school achievement was how well they did on elementary prior achievement and their academic track in middle school. When black males attend schools that have poor teacher quality, lack parental involvement, placed in lower tracks, and who did poorly in elementary school, they are likely to continue to have poor academic outcomes during their middle school years.

Closing the Education Achievement Gaps for African American Males is a research-based tool to improve the schooling experience of African American males. Editors Theodore S. Ransaw and Richard Majors draw together a collection of writings that provide much-needed engagement with issues of gender and identity for black males, as well as those of culture, media, and technology, in the context of education. The distinguished and expert contributors whose work comprises this volume include an achievement-gap specialist for males of color, two psychologists, a math teacher, an electrical engineer, a former school principal, a social worker, and a former human rights commissioner. From black male learning styles to STEM, this book shows that issues pertaining to educational outcomes for black males are nuanced and complex but not unsolvable. With its combination of fresh new approaches to closing achievement gaps and up-to-date views on trends, this volume is an invaluable resource on vital contemporary social and educational issues that aims to improve learning, equity, and access for African American males.