Term of Award

Spring 2007

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Education Administration (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development

Committee Chair

Abebayehu Tekleselassie

Committee Member 1

Barbara Mallory

Committee Member 2

James Klein

Abstract

The graduation rate for Black males in the state of Georgia during the 2003-04 school year as reported by the Schott Foundation was 39 percent. This was in stark contrast to a 54 percent graduation rate for non-Hispanic White males. Nationwide, more than 50 percent of Black males drop out of school compared to between 25 and 30 percent of all other student populations. Additionally, Black males are twice as likely as Black females to be in special education. More Black males receive their GED in prison than graduate from college. The purpose of this study was to explore superintendents' beliefs about and identification of district level practices contributing to the academic achievement of Black males in the state of Georgia. This qualitative study was a purposeful sampling of school superintendents' beliefs regarding the academic achievement of Black males and identification of district level practices believed to positively impact the academic achievement of school-aged Black males in the state of Georgia. Superintendents identified multiple factors, both internal and external, believed to impact the academic achievement of Black males in the state of Georgia. Factors identified by superintendents were both school and community based. While superintendents' beliefs about their role in impacting the academic achievement of Black males varied, the belief that superintendents can and should play a vital role in implementing district level practices to impact the academic achievement of Black males was universal. District level practices identified by superintendents as being implemented to impact the academic achievement of Black males varied among the superintendents and systems surveyed. District level practices as described by superintendents were multifaceted and particular to districts surveyed. The findings from this study enabled the researcher to make several recommendations regarding the academic achievement of Black males in the state of Georgia.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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