Date of Award
12-5-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Timberly Baker
Committee Members
Debra Smith; Derrick Dixon
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2023 R36
Abstract
Black boys are exposed to traumatic experiences at significantly higher rates than other demographic groups (Graham, 2017). Black boys in urban schools face many challenges that often lead to poor life outcomes. These outcomes can be caused by trauma and can have an impact on their behavior and academic performance, especially literacy skills. Labels such as “criminal,” “aggressive,” “anti-school,” and “hardcore” are all used to describe Black males when they enter American schools (Hawkins-Jones, & Reeves, 2020). Lack of grade-level literacy performance is measured annually through statewide assessments that address English Language Arts (ELA) performance. While trauma for Black boys can occur in various settings (e.g., school, the court system, community, and healthcare) during the first five years of life, middle school-aged boys often become disengaged and disinterested in school. There is limited research that explores the causes of behavioral issues that lead to excessive referrals to discipline and Black boys' lower performance on ELA assessments. This quantitative study investigated the relationship between exposure to trauma and how that exposure impacts discipline referrals and ELA performance of Black boys in an urban middle school. Critical Race theory (CRT), specifically the tenet of intersectionality, provided the guiding theoretical framework. Ordinal linear regression analysis revealed a relationship between trauma and increased discipline referrals and a relationship between trauma and lower English Language Arts test scores on the statewide assessment.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Ramsey Bryant, Thelma A., "The Impact of Trauma on the Behavior and English Language Arts Performance of Middle-School Black Boys in an Urban Setting" (2023). Student Theses and Dissertations. 145.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/145
