Voices of Wisdom (V.O.W.):

African American Perceptions and Responses to the School Environment

African American youth in public schools are experiencing massive school failure throughout the United States. These youth are over-represented in lower-tracked general education classrooms and special education settings for youth identified with mild/moderate cognitive disabilities, behavior/emotional disorders (BED), and—in increasing numbers—among those with learning disabilities. These youth account for nearly 20.3% of all children identified to receive special education services, yet they comprise only 17% of the school aged population (Gay, 1997; Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 1998; U.S. Department of Education, 2002). The overrepresentation in BED placements at 27.3% among African American youth, is alarming. African American youth represent thousands of children and youth placed "at-risk" (Boykin, 2000) for continued school failure.

Researchers and educators seldom systematically access the dynamic "voice" of African American youth and their families to assist in understanding how to develop more culturally relevant, responsive, and effective pedagogy in general and special education settings. Such efforts are necessary if a counter action is to be achieved in reversing the trend toward school failure. Research supports the need for more holistic and critical examinations of intervention strategies for African American youth (Boykin, 2001), especially from a strength perspective. Project VOW proposes to critically and systematically analyze the perceptions and responses of African American youth and their families to the school environment.

The study proposes to:

Goal 1: Identify and critically analyze the perceptions and responses of African American youth and their families to the school environment.

Goal 2: Implement student, service provider, and parent focus and work groups designed to assist in increasing academic and social skill success among African American learners in the school context.