The purpose of this study is to explore the six attributes of the Resiliency for Academic Success Framework (2002) and the possible relationship to academic achievement among urban high school students with a focus on multiracial students. Trueba (2002) identified six resiliency traits for academic success in his framework: intelligent planning in the pursuit of major goals, delaying gratification for the sake of future rewards, willingness to learn a new language and culture, ability to appreciate and use family support during crises, ability to use multiple personal identities in the process of communicating with others, loyalty to school and family and the wisdom to pursue academic excellence with the love and support of teachers and parents, spiritual strength based on religious, cultural, and linguistic values. Academic achievement was measured by reading and math scores, which are mandatory assessments required for graduation in the state of Illinois. The study used quantitative research analyses: descriptive statistics, correlation, ANOVA, and regression. The sample included 521 students from five diverse high schools, but only 377 students from the five high schools had PSAE reading and math scores to correspond with completed surveys. The findings demonstrated that the multiracial students were not significantly different than other racial groups (Caucasian, African-Americans, Hispanics, and multiracial) in academic achievement. Multiracial students (N=85) in the study had similar levels with mean and standard deviation scores to Caucasian students (n=136). ANOVA demonstrated that differences existed between groups in PSAE reading, but no significant differences existed between racial groups in PSAE math. The regression analyses showed that all students (N=377) had the same three Resiliency for Academic Success factors (overall resiliency average, spiritual strength, and willingness to learn a new language and culture) that were predictive in reading and math PSAE. In addition, all students (N=377) showed that the Resiliency for Academic Success characteristic of ability to use family support during crises was predictive of math PSAE scores.

1. AQUANTITATIVEANALYSISOFRESILIENCYAND
ACADEMICACHIEVEMENTAMONGMULTIRACIAL
STUDENTSINURBANHIGHSCHOOLS
Dr. Brett A. Burton,Assistant Professor
Xavier University

2.  Relevance of the research
 Education Leadership
 School Improvement in Urban High Schools
 PSAE in the state of Illinois (ACT)
 Multiracial Student Experience
 Trueba’s (2002) Resiliency for Academic Success
 Background of research
 6 Components
 Resiliency researchers have investigated the impact of protective
factors on the academic achievement of minority students, and
the results have varied among them (Benard, 1991; Smith &
Carlson, 1997;Werner and Smith, Trueba, 2002; Wasonga, 2004).

3.  National Center for Educational Statistics (2019) student population has
become more diverse in 20 years
 Diversity has presented challenges in U.S. Schools
 NCES (2019) 26 point gap in 4th grade reading between Caucasian and African-
American
 NCES (2019) 23 point gap in 4th grade reading between Caucasian and Hispanics
 Achievement Gap: Carnoy and Garcia (2017) race continues to be a factor in
explaining the achievement gap
 Lee (2008) achievement gap among minority students may have negative
lifetime consequences
 Wallace (2004) multiracial children are minorities and their families are minority
families
 Wardle (2001) early childhood program and school is one of the first places a
multiracial child experiences harassment and questioning of their identity
Statement of the problem

4. Multiracial
Family
 Multiracial student experience
 2011= 1.2% = all public school students in the United States
 2018= 3.1% = all public school students in the United States
 Choi, Harachi, Gillmore, and Catalano (2006): MinorityYouth Project-
sample size was 2,305 respondent from 2,777 multiracial= 454 or
20.6% were multiracial youths significantly more likely than all three
monoracial youth groups to have ever smoked, drink alcohol, and use
marijuana.
 Quillian and Redd’s (2009) research found that multiracial students
attempting to bridge both races may experience frustration with
identity development.
 Cooney and Radina’s (2000) research identified that multiracial
students have difficulty with identity formation, which may lead to a
lack of acceptance with peers or friends.
 Educators remain perplexed in how to best meet the needs of
this unique student group.

5. Questions
multiracial
students
experience
 What are you?
 How do you racially identify?
 Are you Mixed?Which ethnicity are you more?
 Where are you from?
 Why is your hair like that?

6. What race are
they?

7. How about
these children?

8. Purpose of the
Study
The purpose of this study was to explore
the six attributes of the Resiliency for
Academic Success Framework (Trueba,
2002) and their relationship to academic
achievement among urban high school
students, with a focus on these outcomes
for multiracial students.

9. Research
Questions
 RQ1: What are the levels of Resiliency for Academic Success factors and
academic achievement (PSAE Scores in Reading and Math) among
Caucasians,African-Americans, Hispanics, and multiracial urban high school
students?
 RQ2: What is the relationship between Resiliency for Academic Success
factors and academic achievement (PSAE Scores in Reading and Math)
among Caucasians,African-Americans, Hispanics, and multiracial urban high
school students?
 RQ3: Are there differences in Resiliency for Academic Success factors and
academic achievement (PSAE Scores in Reading and Math) among Caucasian,
African-American, Hispanic, and Multiracial urban high school students ?
 RQ4: What Resiliency for Academic Success factors predict academic
achievement among urban high school students in each of the four racial
groups (Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and multiracial)?


10. Literature
Review
Achievement Gap:
Factors
Resiliency for Academic
Success:
Dr. Henry Trueba
Student Racial
Groups in Urban High
Schools with a focus
on multiracial students

11. Dr.Trueba’s
Resiliency for
Academic
Success
Framework
1. Intelligent Planning in the
pursuit of major goals,
delaying gratification for the
sake of future rewards
2. Willingness to
Learn a New
Language and Culture
3. Ability to Use Multiple Personal
Identities in the process of
communicating with others
4. Ability to
appreciate and
use family
support during
crises
6. Spiritual Strength based
on religious, cultural, and
linguistic values
5. Loyalty to school and family and the wisdom
to pursue academic excellence with the love and
support of teachers and parents
Resiliency for
Academic
Success
Assisted performance
and ZPD in the
discovery of the new
self through
resiliency

12. Number of Respondents Percent
Total population 377 100
Gender
Female 203 54
Male 174 46
Race – self-reported
Caucasian 136 36
African-American 31 8
Asian/Pacific Islander 18 5
Hispanic/Latino 82 22
2 or more races 85 23
Native-American 2 .004

13. Multiracial
Student
Combinations
Multiracial Student Combinations
Combinations Total
Caucasian and Hispanic/Latino 32
Caucasian and African-American 25
Caucasian and Native American 12
Caucasian and Asian 8
African-American and Asian 3
3 Groups or more 8

14. Findings
 Multiracial students were more similar on the six Resiliency for
Academic Success factors and PSAE reading and math scores
when compared to Caucasians
 Significant positive linear relationships were found between
multiracial students’ PSAE mathematics scores and two of the
Resiliency for Academic Success factors: 1) ability to use family
support during crises (r=.308, p=0.05); and 2) loyalty to
family/school (r=.324, p=0.01).
 Significant positive linear relationship was found between
multiracial students’ PSAE scores in reading and three of the
Resiliency for Academic Success factors: 1) willingness to learn
a new language and culture (r= .211, p= 0.05) and 2) ability to
use family support during crises (r=.277, p=0.05) and loyalty to
family school and the wisdom to pursue academic excellence
(r=.326, p=0.05).

15. Teachers and
School
Administrators
Ideas to
support
 Create learning communities which support racial differences
among students
 Refrain from “lumping” multiracial students in specific single racial
categories.. Don’t assume that students belong to one racial group
because of certain physical characteristics
 Provide professional development to faculty on race and the
multiracial student experience (Wardle, 2001 & Root, 2003)
 Integrate school projects in classrooms such as sharing family
trees by including visual artifacts for students to share
 Seek out and use the increasing number of children's books
available that depict multiracialism in the classroom, acquire them
for the school library, and request that the local library purchase
them for family use.15
 Leverage resiliency factor of family and increase parental
involvement

16. Suggestions
for Further
Study
 Perform a mixed methods design study (Quantitative
and Qualitative)
 Study a larger high school student population from
students located in inner city, magnet, charter, or
parochial schools
 Examine student populations in other geographic
regions in the United States such as Los Angeles,
California; NewYork City, NewYork; Miami, Florida;
and Minneapolis, Minnesota
 Focus on various multiracial combinations to delineate
any differences among students and achievement

17.  Thank you… If you would like copies or additional information
about this study please see the contact information below.
 Dr. Brett A. Burton, Assistant Professor
Xavier University
Education Administration
e-mail: burtonb4@Xavier.edu
(office): Hailstones Hall, Room 318. Phone: 513-745-4230.