2008 Student Research Conference:
21st Annual Student Research Conference

Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps: Viewpoints from African-American High School Students
Kurtis D. Werner♦
Dr. Wendy Miner and Mr. Paul E. Hoelscher (Clayton High School), Faculty Mentors

A prominent issue in many public American schools is the achievement gap. The purpose of this study was to study the achievement gap concerning factors at home and school among African-American students. The study focused on the accounts of thirty-two individual African-American students' lives both inside the corridors of high school and abroad at the students' permanent residences. The study included both residential and non-residential African-American students. Through observations with colleagues over the course of a semester, focus group sessions, and a survey that helped identify factors that could possibly lead to the achievement gap, I worked to find out what causes were most prevalent among the thirty-two African-American students concerning achievement and what teachers could/should do to help them be more successful. The results at the time of this abstract have not been fully analyzed yet.

Keywords: achievement gap, African-American students, residential , non-residential, successful, teachers, survey, focus group session

Topic(s):Education

Presentation Type: Oral Paper

Session: 5-1
Location: VH 1428
Time: 8:15

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♦ Indicates Truman Graduate Student
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