Karl Reid

All Things Considered:
Cultivating Healthy Resistance Strategies to Promote Academic Excellence
Karl W. Reid, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President
Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives
2010 NPEA Conference

A National Crisis:
Water Main Breaks in the K-16 Pipeline
7.5 million or 68% of White children under 5 years old will drop out of the system before completing college

Only ~870K of the 5.3M, or 16% of Latino children under 5 will graduate from college!

Only 12% of African American children under 5 will graduate from college!

Plugging the Holes
New England minority and economically disadvantaged students who participate in pre-college programs are twice as likely to attend college and more likely to graduate than non-participants (The Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2001)

Best Practices: Creating a College-Going Culture
Rigorous academic development
Creating and fostering an achievement culture
Reducing or eliminating financial barriers while developing financial literacy
Intentionally developing positive identities

Through their “Ethic of Care”, HBCUs have a legacy of developing leaders that make a significant impact
HBCU graduate accomplishments
Ruth Simmons
First African American President of Ivy League University
Dillard University
Hazel O'Leary
U.S. Secretary of Energy; only woman and African American to hold this position
Fisk University
50% of African American public school teachers earned degrees from HBCUs
70% of African American dentists and physicians earned degrees from HBCUs
50% of African Americans who graduate from HBCUs go on to graduate or professional schools
Five UNCF member institutions were among the top 25 producers of African American medical school applicants: Xavier University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Oakwood University, and Tuskegee University (2004)
More African American science and engineering doctoral recipients began their education at UNCF institutions than at Berkeley, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Brown, Stanford, Princeton, and Yale combined (1997-2001)
40% of the Congressional Black Caucus received at least one degree from an HBCU
12% percent received degrees from UNCF member institutions
David Satcher
Former U.S. Surgeon General
Former Assistant Secretary for Health
Morehouse College
Martin Luther King, Jr.
American clergyman
Prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement
Morehouse College
John Jackson
President, CEO of Schott Foundation for Public Education
Member of Obama's education transition team
Xavier University
Alexis Herman
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor
Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison
Xavier University
Oprah Winfrey
Entrepreneur, media personality, producer, literary critic
Tennessee State University
Marian Wright Edelman
Children's rights activist
President and founder of Children's Defense Fund
Spelman College
Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake
Former U.S. Representative
Former president of Wilberforce University
Wilberforce
Dr. Deborah Hyde
Neurosurgeon
Founder of Beacon of Hope Scholarship Fund
Tougaloo College
Source: UNCF FY10 Legislative Brief, public data; institution websites

Environment
Faculty-student interactions
Student-student relations
Campus climate
Personal Factors
Physical
Emotional
Mental/Motivational
Behavior
Time mgmt
Study groups
Effort & resilience
Social Cognitive Theory
Self-Efficacy
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

Why Race Matters
For some students, their racial or ethnic makeup somehow influences confidence(self-efficacy) in their abilities in certain contexts.
9

Environment
Faculty-student interactions
Student-student relations
Classroom climate/ rewards
Identity
Racial Identity
Gender Identity
Cultural Fluency
Personal Factors
Physical
Emotional
Mental/Motivational
Behavior
Time mgmt & habits
Study groups
Effort & resilience
A Comprehensive Achievement Framework
Self-Efficacy
Adapted from Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

“Identities are the stories we tell ourselves and the world about who we are, and our attempt to act in accordance with these stories.” (Dorothy Hollard)

Minorities of color are typically not able to choose an identity, but rather are pressed to internalize one by societal signals due to experiences with, and perceptions about discrimination and prejudice (Phinney & Rosenthal, 1992).

The Bottom Line
You are not at your intellectual best when you are experiencing emotional or psycho-social stress!

Non-cognitive Variables associated with grades, retention, and graduation (Seldlacek 1986)
Positive self-concept or confidence
Realistic self-appraisal
Understands and deals with racism
“Is realistic based on personal experience of racism. Not submissive to existing wrongs, nor hostile to society, nor a ‘cop-out.’ Able to handle racist system. Asserts school role to fight racism.”
Demonstrated community service
Prefers long-range goals to short-term or immediate needs
Availability of strong support person
Successful leadership experience
Knowledge acquired in a field
Sedlacek, W. E. (2004). Beyond The Big Test. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Primary Questions for Our Study
Is there a combination of resistance strategies that explain academic performance of high achieving African American and Chicano/a students?
If so, what can individuals who work with African American and Chicano/a students do to cultivate healthy resistance strategies?

Resistance Strategies
Oppositional Culture
Fordham & Ogbu (1986)
Resistance for Survival,
Ward (1991)
Resistance for Liberation,
Ward(1991)
Academically Unhealthy
Academically Healthy

In Their Own Words: Stereotypes
“Being a Mexican American isn't easy. I think that if
I was white I could have had more academic
opportunities. There is a stereotype about
Mexicans, which is that we aren't that academically
applied in school. I personally think this is unfair
because each individual is different and capable of
doing his own thing. But for this very reason I have
been inspired to do well and attend a university
where I would have a successful career so I can
prove to everybody that a Mexican can do just as
well as any other person.”

Results from Our Study

In Their Own Words: Reactionary (RfLr)
“I must work harder and better than the members of the majority in order to achieve my goals and to keep motivated in striving for more. I must show the world that I deserve to be recognized and respected by proving that, even though I am associated with a minority group, I am just as good if not better, than any other person.
”

In Their Own Words: Separation(RfLr)
“When people find out that I am of Mexican descent, they
often have a surprised expression on their face. As if they
think "only gardeners are Mexicans, how can you be in AP
Calculus?" Though I'm not embarrassed of my culture and
where I come from, I don't want people to think just
because of my ethnicity that I'm just like the woman who cleans their house for a living.I am the lone Mexican in Advanced Placement Calculus and AP Physics; I have so much more at stake than my peers.”

In Their Own Words: Internal (RfLi)
“If anything, as an African American I am
encouraged. I have a great sense of my
history and I know that it is the story of a
people who reached mountaintop after
mountaintop in the face of seemingly
insurmountable odds. It is the knowledge of
this history that keeps me encouraged in
the predominately white school that I
attend.”

In Their Own Words: Internal (RfLi)
“They faced many obstacles and, through
the story of the hurdles they have faced, I
have learned to have the desire to soar. It is
this desire that is evident in my diligence in
school and all the activities of which I am
apart.”

In Their Own Words: Role Models
“Periodically, I have had the opportunity to
pick up one of San Antonio's monthly
Hispanic magazines and have read about
motivated people who have broken free of
this mold. They aspired to be something
great; and in the same way, I aspire to be a
Hispanic who did not let other people's view
of my ethnicity block out the light of my
dreams.” -Francisco

An estimated 7,200,000 Black and Latino children will not be able to thrive in the increasingly global, technologically inspired marketplace!

Yes We Can!
Attend to racial, ethnic and gender identity development
Increase meaningful cross-cultural interactions while supporting their need to retreat to a place of “identity safety”
Leverage mentoring relationships and role modeling
“Engineer their Posse”
Increase diversity of your staff
Increase faculty and counseling staff awareness about racial identity schema
Continue to push for policies that fix the water mains

Thank You!
Karl W. Reid, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President
Academic Programs and Strategic Initiatives
Steppingstone Foundation Board Member
karl.reid@uncf.org

Karl Reid

by Marissa Lowman on Apr 12, 2010

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Karl Reid — Presentation Transcript