Browsing by Author "Scheurich, Jim"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Black Identity Development on a First Year Affinity Course for African American Males at a Two-Year Community College
    (2021-03) Turner, John Cleo; Scheurich, Jim; Hayes, Cleveland; Thompson, Chalmer; Etienne, Leslie; Brown, Roderick
    The research for this dissertation is a study of one case example of programs and classes put into place for African American males at community colleges around the United States with a focus on how these programs were successful or not in assisting in the persistence, retention, and graduation of these students. The purpose of using Cross’ (1991) Black Identity Development Theory as a framework for exploring the students’ experiences in racial ‘awakening’ was to track the patterns in how these experiences aligned with Cross’ concepts.
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    Bought But Not Sold Out: A Critical Autoethnography of a Public School Board Member in the Neoliberal Turn
    (2022-05) Cosby, Gayle S.; Scheurich, Jim; Medina, Monica; Rogan, Patricia; Etienne, Leslie K.
    Neoliberalism is a pro-capitalist ideology that cycles money and power to the elite class by deregulating or privatizing the public sphere and is fueled by economic exploitation and oppression. This dissertation examines the neoliberal construct at work in the privatization of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) from an ethnographic lens using the vantage point of an elected IPS board member. The literature surrounding the privatization of public schools offers stories from all over the U.S., however the conditions surrounding the privatization of public education systems are similar irrespective of geographical location. Common themes across the country include the de-professionalization of teachers, the circulation of the narrative myth of failing public schools and charter schools as a positive alternative, and overarching patterns of continued school segregation, gentrification of inner cities, and racial migratory patterns of residents affecting school enrollment. Theoretical framing employed in this study includes Punctuated Equilibrium at the macro level; sociopolitics and logics of action at the meso level, and critical theory and politics of resistance at the micro level of analysis. The analysis of data was conducted thematically and data sources encompass a self-authored blog as well as personal communications and reflections, news articles, and board documents. Results of this study illustrate that IPS as an organization underwent a fulcrum point of change, or ‘Punctuated Equilibrium’ in which it ceased to be an exclusively public institution and began to establish partnerships with private charter school companies with inherent profit motives, via the ‘Innovation School Network’. There were many political players involved in orchestrating this change, and those interest groups and their logics of action are detailed. Implications of this study include identifying the future spread of school privatization and possibilities for disrupting the furthering of this neoliberal agenda.
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    Critically Conscious White Teachers: A Case Study
    (2023-05) Priester-Hanks, Mary Louise; Scheurich, Jim; Thompson, Chalmer; Murphy, Hardy; Blackmon, Sha'Kema; Murtadha, Khaula
    Racism is a pervasive and destructive force in society and has no place in schools. White teachers, like all teachers, are responsible for creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. This means being aware and actively working to combat their own biases and stereotypes, providing equal opportunities and support to all students. This instrumental, qualitative study captured the narratives of five White-identifying critically conscious teachers to understand how their critical consciousness is expressed and the opportunities and challenges they experience because of their anti-racism work. The central research question of this study was: How do critically conscious White teachers in a Southern Indiana school district experiencing demographic shifts engage in anti-racism work? Janet Helms’s White Racial Identity Development (WRID) theory was used to explain the teachers’ work towards anti-racism in schools. The findings from this study indicated that White identifying critically conscious teachers White teachers: a) leverage their privilege to promote anti-racism, b) use culturally relevant practices, c) engage in co-conspirator work, d) actively collaborate with BIPOC students and teachers, e) are instrumental in supporting anti-racism efforts, f) are content with making a positive impact on students and society, g) perceive and experience negative professional consequences as a result of their anti-racism work. This study has important implications for teachers, school administrators, and education system stakeholders.
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    An Examination of the Bachelor's Degree Attainment Experiences of African American Males Post-Incarceration
    (2021-08) Wallace, James W., Jr.; Murtadha, Khaula; Thompson, Chalmer; Scheurich, Jim; Applegate, Rachel
    The United States of America incarcerates more of its citizens than any other industrialized nation. Moreover, African American males are disproportionately targeted for incarceration in a system reminiscent of the system of slavery abolished after the civil war. As the cycle of recidivism plays itself out in this nation, this research examines the experiences of Black males who have broken the cycle to reestablish themselves within society through educating themselves in our nation's colleges and universities. This work is a phenomenological multiple case study that examines the experiences of five men who were incarcerated for a felony offense and successfully obtained bachelor's degree upon release. This research asks the questions: what motivated the pursuit of a degree, how did they pay for it, what resources were utilized, what challenges were overcome, and what impact this achievement had on their lives? Additionally, this research examines current correctional and educational policies and their impact on the Black community and concludes by making recommendations grounded in the research on how the nation can reduce recidivism rates and better serve African American communities.
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    An Exploratory Study Comparing a Low Income Black Dominant Urban School to a Low Income White Dominant Urban School in Terms of School Quality
    (2020-02) Shipp, Cassandra M.; Scheurich, Jim; Scribner, Samantha; Thompson, Chalmer; Medina, Monica
    Urban Schools are often judge on the perceived shortcomings of students’ academic skills and family social economic status. This image is judged more negatively when students are mainly Black students from low-income homes. One of the main sources of that judgement is the overall letter grade each school receives as part of state accountability systems. When urban schools have a preponderance of low income white students (LIW) with higher letter grades than urban schools with a preponderance of Black students from low income homes (LIB), the typical conclusion is that the LIW schools are “better” than the LIB schools. To see if this is validated in other areas of schooling, I selected four areas that it would be possible to use to “compare” in an exploratory fashion these two types of urban schools. Those four are: 1) teacher quality, 2) AP enrollment and completion data, 3) technology usage, and 4) graduation rates, for all of which data is available and/or can be collected. Thus, I will be exploring whether the school’s letter grade does distort the understanding or perception of quality for these two types of schools. The findings of the study indicated that the LIB urban high school was not equal or better than LIW urban high school. Even though there was growth in the four focus areas and in the state accountability grade for LIB urban high school, the LIW urban high school outperformed the LIB urban high school in all areas. This study also confirmed that the LIB urban high schools continue to have the less effective teachers in the classrooms, which leads to little to no change in educational quality.
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    From Compliance to Empowerment: Mediating Teacher Activity in Data Team Meetings Through Cultural Historical Activity Theory and Collaborative Inquiry in the Context of Neoliberal Education Reform
    (2024-07) Rusnak, Kathryn Noel; Thorius, Kathleen King; Maxcy, Brendan; Morton, Crystal; Murphy, Hardy; Scheurich, Jim
    This qualitative case study focuses on the impact of neoliberal education reform on an urban charter school serving students of Color. This study has two main objectives: to examine how neoliberal reform influences the goal-oriented actions of data meetings (DMs) in an urban elementary school and engages in a formative intervention methodology to collaborate with educators in addressing(mediating) our assumptions around the ways of measuring what students know and learn, paying particular attention to how teachers' language and decisions reflect neoliberal ideologies. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) methodology and an expansive learning cycle provide a framework to collect and analyze data of teachers' goal-oriented actions in the context of neoliberal reform and standardized testing to aide in understanding and interpreting joint activity systems in educational institutions. The study's significance lies in the potential for intentional teacher learning activities that challenge and transform the marginalizing effects of neoliberal education reform, particularly in relation to standardized testing at the intersections of race and ability. Key findings of the study are the complex challenges educators face in balancing accountability policy requirements with the unique needs of their students. It emphasizes the importance of professional learning that moves away from individual performance toward collective agency.
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    Leadership in Red, Blue, and White: A Critical Autoethnography for Aspiring Anti-Racist White School Leaders
    (2025-05) Mason, Madeline B.; Scheurich, Jim; Matias, Cheryl; Hayes, Cleveland; Santamaria Graff, Cristina; Nguyen, David Hoa Khoa
    This dissertation presents data from my time as a white school leader working to lead through the lens of racial justice in two very different sociopolitical contexts. I refer to my time working in Indiana as my “red” experience; and my time working in Washington state as my “blue” one. This wording is a play on the common political labels that states and regions often receive based on the presence of more Democrat or Republican leaning leadership, policies, and ideals. As I seek to analyze the differences and similarities between my two geographical experiences, I draw upon the framework of Critical Whiteness Studies with a large emphasis on the work of Cheryl Matias and George Yancy. Through a Critical Autoethnography approach, I seek to understand my own grappling with whiteness and white supremacy culture and how I simultaneously perpetuate them while also working to address them and create more just educational spaces. I present six themes after analyzing journal entries, research papers, and notes from my work in both states that are a direct reflection of my own experiences, all framed within the context of my theoretical framework. I take a story-based approach to my research with the hopes of both connecting with readers and supporting the autoethnographic approach as a valid and engaging method of research. Overall, I found significant meaning in conducting this research both professionally and personally.