Student Academic Engagement and the Academic Achievement Gap between Black and White ...

216 Pages·2009·6.4 MB·English

Student Academic Engagement and the Academic Achievement Gap between Black and
White Middle School Students: Does Engagement Increase Student Achievement?

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRDUATE SCHOOL
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY

Renee Sbrocco

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

Advisor: Dr. Karen Seashore

October, 2009
© Renee Sbrocco, October 2009
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the numerous people who supported me throughout this
crazy process. Without their backing and laughter, I’m not sure if I would have made it.
Below are few people who need special recognition.
My parents – “Mom and Tom” have been, as always, the most consistent and
loving people in my life. I’m almost positive that if I had let her, my mother would have
done ALL my cooking, laundry, and cleaning, in her effort to help me make time to work
on my dissertation. Her insatiable appetite to love me is amazing – without her none of
this happens. In addition, Tom’s steady (“never too high never too low”) attitude kept me
grounded and on track to finish with pride and balance. His belief in my abilities and
smarts helped propel me to start and finish this process. Thank you both.
My husband – Mikey’s optimism and pure confidence in me gave me the
assurance that I would finish. I appreciate his real interest in my study – he loved
discussing my findings, my reading, and even the statistics I was using. Only Mike would
want to read my stats book upon completion of my dissertation. Mike’s analogy -
“getting a dissertation is like running a marathon” helped me put everything in
perspective and know that I had the ability and perseverance to finish this race. Plus, no
matter what, he always makes me laugh!
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My brothers – All three of my older brothers (Mark, Greg, and Brian) treated me
as an equal. If it was on the ball field, in a board game, or in school – I had to learn to
hold my own. This mindset has given me the confidence to do whatever it is I want.
Because of the three of them, I’m never afraid to take on new challenges or hard tasks –
what a gift. Thank you.
My advisor – Karen taught me how to be an academic in all aspects of the word.
I appreciate her complete willingness to help me learn and accomplish the toughest
“school” challenge I have ever faced. She has, in some ways, given me the tools to
eliminate the feelings of inadequacy I have always felt in school. Without her guidance
this dissertation would have never been completed.
My “nerdy” friends who love education – KC, Kunz, Matthew J, Tim, Amy,
Jodi, and Brian. Each of them has contributed to this dissertation process and my
philosophy on education. I did my best teaching with KC, and because of that experience
I was able to articulate my “instructional” mind into this paper. Plus, KC’s edits are really
nice. I learned what it means to be a “teacher” because of Kunz. Her influence is all over
this research (authentic instruction). The “triumvirate” is how I finished this massive
undertaking, all the case studies, PCR laughs, and think tanks really helped make this
experience fun. Thank you Matt and Tim – you both are next. My favorite teacher is
Amy. She really gets kids and does a great job engaging them. She was a real motivator
in truly understanding the concept of “teacher support” in this paper. Laughing is always
important, and because of my friend Jodi, I was never at a loss. I appreciate her ability to
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be a teacher dedicated to the students - her ability to connect with kids is phenomenal, it
is all about engagement! Finally, without Brian’s willingness to “help” me finish this
dissertation it would not be done. His unwavering support was not only a help, but also a
motivator. Thank you all.
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Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my two grandmothers and great aunt. Each of them,
in their own way taught me how to love and work hard.
• Jean (Iafigliola) Grassi
• Mary (Iannicicco) Sbrocco
• Phyllis (Iafigliola) Baum
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Abstract
Too many students leave American high schools unable to read, write, or even do
simple math. This academic failure falls disproportionately on students of color. In
addition, student academic disengagement is ubiquitous in American schools. In 2004,
The National Research Council and Institute of Medicine found that large numbers of
American students are not fully engaged intellectually in the teaching and learning
enterprise (Marks, 2000). The effects of student disengagement are most severe among
minority students, a group which scores lower in achievement and higher in drop-out
rates (Voelkl, 1997). Given the disparity between White and Black students in academic
achievement and academic engagement, the purpose of this study is to examine the
relationship between academic engagement and the achievement of eighth grade students
in three suburban middle schools. The study utilizes a post-positivism philosophy given
the quantitative methods used to analyze perceived levels of academic engagement of
eighth-grade students. The engagement data was then analyzed compared to student
academic achievement. In conclusion, the study showed that more engaged students
demonstrated higher academic achievement. In addition, the effects of engagement have
the ability to reduce the effects of race on academic achievement.
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Table of Contents
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