by Dr. Tess Hansen

2. Research Questions
 Parallel study conducted with Dr. Rose Myers

3. Definition of Umoja
 Umoja “unity” programs establish social networks
and resources dedicated to enhancing the cultural
and educational experiences of African-Americans
 Focus on developmental classes
 Learning community model
 Cohort model

4. Methodology
 Case study design
 Data collection from 3 campuses
 Instructor interviews
 Classroom observations
 Student interviews and focus groups
 Physical artifacts from instructors

5. Findings
 Pedagogical practices
 Intentional use of race and cultural identity
 Students’ development as African American
students
 Integration and intrusiveness of support services
and instruction

6. Active Learning
 Active learning
 Example from discussion on Manchild in the Promised
Land
 Example of teacher’s mistakes on math problems
 Active learning encourages higher order thinking
and student’s integration into academic community
(Braxton, Milen & Shaw Sullivan, 2000)

7. Collaborative Learning
 I think the best part for me is the fact that we’re able
to work in groups. So, Ms. Mason puts out a plate
for you, everyone picks and eats out of it and then in
the end, we all get back together and talk about
how good that meal was. That’s how I see the math.
So she teaches us the math, we work on it, and then
we all argue real loud, but we try to understand
what’s going on. (Chantel)

8. Authentic Teaching
 There’s lots of ways to express “live learning,” but
some of the basics I guess are that you walk into the
classroom, you have something in mind basically …
but you don’t make the meaning. They make all the
meaning. And you facilitate the meaning, but if you
want to up it because you think it would be more
abstract, more translate to academic work, or just
more get closer to their pain, then you can up it, but
it’s organic because it’s right in what they’re talking
about. (Rob LaSalle, English instructor)

9. Authentic Teaching
 I will take the mathematics and I will not put it in
mathematic jargonese. I will explain it because my
purpose is for you to understand … I can train a
monkey to do something, I want you to
understand, so when you see this in any kind of
class, you know what you’re doing … This ain’t
about coming in here and passing quizzes. This is
about understanding mathematics so when you walk
out of here, you’ll know what you’re doing. (Sue
Davis, math instructor)

10. Othermothering
 Teachers take on a surrogate mother role to
encourage and expect the best from them
(Guiffrida, 2005)

11. Othermothering
 Yeah and then Ms. Mabel and Ms. Davis, they see
you messing up and they're like, ‘Where you at?
You're gonna come talk to me today right?’ Like they
see it before you see it, and then, like, stop it before
it happens. They don't like stop working for you
even if … they're off the clock. And you know like
even if you get mad at them, you can't help but
respect them. I look at Ms. Davis as if I was looking
at her on the same level as a grandparent … she's
just like always been there. (Astra)

12. Warm Demander
 Teacher’s insistence that students perform
consistently and exceptionally (Ware, 2006)

13. Warm Demander
 I don’t want nothing late, and don’t be emailing me
at the last minute talking about “my car broke.”
Leave the car, bring my test. I’m serious, ok? (Sue
Davis)
 Ms. Mabel and Ms. Davis, they kind of like work
really hard to make you do good and sometimes it
feels like they your grandparents because they just
get on you over everything like, everything, but you
can't help but respect them because they're looking
out for you, you know? (Astra)

14. Culturally Responsive
Curriculum
 “Culture is at the heart of all we do in the name of
education, whether that is
curriculum, instruction, administration, or
performance assessment” (Gay, 2010,p. 8)

15. Students’ Development:
Understanding History
 Because it taught me a lot about my background and
my history. And a lot of things that I didn't know that
I was able to learn about myself and to where that
I'm just as equal as everybody else … So that helped
me give me a little boost to my self like about, “OK if
I really have that desire, then I really can. All I gotta
do is do it.” (DaShawn)

16. Students’ Development:
Racial Identity
 It showed me how unfair the justice system is and
how unfair the world is. When you don't experience
things like that, you think the world is fine, but when
you see somebody who's coming from your same
background experience something like that and not
be treated fairly, it makes you think that could
happen to anybody. That coulda been me or my dad.
so those assignments like they really change my
perspective on who I am and where I come from and
how the world looks at me. (Manny)

17. Students’ Development:
Finding a Voice
 It makes me feel powerful. It makes me feel like we
really have to stand up and do something. Like
because the stories we read were like kids our age
that really stood up back in the days and we could
still do the same to make it better. (Sunny)

18. Finding a Voice (cont.)
 The most valuable thing about [the program] is that
I was able to be successful …I was able to express
my opinions … When I first got to English I was
like, “Oh I don't know how to write a paper. I don't
know how to do this. I don't know how to talk." But
after being in [the program], it helped me just
become more prepared and just satisfied as a writer
… when I first got to English, a 2- page paper made
me shiver. And now I got an 8-page paper
[assignment] and I said, “Oh that's it? Ok!" And I had
written a 10-page paper and had to cut it down
because I wrote too much. (Dashawn)

19. Integration of Instruction and
Student Services
 Counselor in the classroom
 Assignments on support services
 Use of services a joint responsibility

20. Intrusive Support Services
 Requirement to use services