SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPS
CANDIDACY PAPER DRAFT 4 4
Candidacy Paper Draft 4
Timothy R. Faust
College of Education
January 5, 2025
Running head: CANDIDACY PAPER DRAFT 4 1
Geographic Determinants of Educational Attainment: Examining the Academic Trajectories of Black Male Adolescents in Chicago
Abstract
This research study focuses on how the geographical location within Chicago influences academic and college persistence for Black male adolescents. This research integrates qualitative data from interviews conducted with school principals and Black male students from three Chicago Public Schools (CPS) (North: LHS South: CHS; West: CHS) aiming to explore systemic factors that contribute to these disparities.
Keywords: Black male adolescents, Chicago, Education, Inequities, funding
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................
Overview of the Study .....................................................................................................
Purpose Statement ..........................................................................................................
Guiding Research Questions ............................................................................................
Main Guiding Question ...............................................................................................
Sub-Questions ...........................................................................................................
Significance of the Study .............................................................................................
Importance of Addressing Educational Inequities ..............................................................
Relevance to Policy and Practice .....................................................................................
Rationale .....................................................................................................................
Justification for the Focus on Black Male Adolescents ......................................................
Researcher's Personal and Professional Motivation ..........................................................
Literature Review .........................................................................................................
Introduction: The Struggles of Black Males in and Outside of Schools ...............................
Systemic Challenges Faced by Black Students in the American Education System ..............
The Impact of Brown v. Board of Education on Black Education .....................................
The Educational Experience of Black Adolescents in Chicago .........................................
Focus on Black Male Adolescents in Chicago Schools .......................................................
The Role of Principals in Improving Educational Outcomes for Black Students in Chicago .....
References ..................................................................................................................
Introduction
My name is Timothy Faust, and I currently serve as an assistant principal within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system. Over the past 12 years, Ive had the opportunity to work in various capacities across both the South and North sides of Chicago, providing me with a unique vantage point to observe the educational landscape of the city. Through this experience, I have become acutely aware of the stark inequities that disproportionately affect Black male adolescent students within CPS. This realization is deeply personal to me, as I have witnessed firsthand how these students, many of whom are filled with potential, often leave high school on divergent pathspaths shaped by a system that fails to support them equitably. Schools are a microcosm of societyschool inequities only reflect broader ones that exist in societypast and present.
I want to investigate these inequities further because of my role as an educator...
The systemic inequities within CPS perpetuate cycles of poverty, limit opportunities for upward mobility, and widen the achievement gap between Black male adolescent students and their peers (Arnett, 2019).Through this exploration of the underlying factors that contribute to this disparity, I want to shed light on how leadership within schools can help address these challenges. My goal is to be a voice for equitable educational outcomes for Black adolescent students.
Problem Statement
Educational inequities in Chicago are stark, and they particularly affect Black male adolescents, who face disproportionate challenges in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The school systems administrators know this themselves and report directly: Our schools have been placed on a direct pipeline to the prison industrial complex (Arnett, 2019, p. 49). In fact, there are not many options: Chicago has lost close to 200,000 Black residents because of the lack of housing choices and schooling options (Arnett, 2019, p. 48). And those schooling options that remain are unable to help: Among CPS students in the last decade, 25% finished high school with an average GPA of 1.51, a D average. Across all CPS graduates the average GPA was 2.36, a low C (Farrington, 2014, p. 38).
Research highlights that these disparities are rooted in long-standing racial and economic segregation, which continues to shape the educational landscape in Chicago (Kozol,...
…implementation of support programs (Davis, 2003). Research shows that schools with principals who actively advocate for equity, build strong relationships with students, and prioritize culturally responsive teaching see better outcomes for Black male adolescent students (Hall, 2006).Principals in underfunded schools on Chicagos South and West sides face the difficult task of balancing limited resources with the high needs of their student populations. These leaders must navigatesystemic challenges such as inequitable funding, teacher shortages, staff acting as loco parentis, and high rates of student absenteeism, all while working to create a supportive environment for Black males (Lipman, 2011). On the other hand, principals in wealthier neighborhoods have more access to resources, experienced staff, and community support, enabling them to provide a higher quality of education. This disparity shows the role that principals play in either mitigating or perpetuating educational inequities (Howard, 2013).
Overall, the educational experiences of Black male adolescents in Chicago are shaped by a complex interplay of systemic inequities, both within and outside of schools. As Kunjufu, Howard, Davis, Lipman, and others have argued, the challenges faced by Black male adolescents are deeply rooted in historical and systemic inequities. Racial and economic segregation, over-policing, and the criminalization of Black youth create barriers that extend into the educational sphere. Principals are uniquely positioned to address these challenges by fostering an inclusive and supportive culture within their schools. Their leadership can set the tone for practices that dismantle barriers and promote opportunities for success.
Principals are in a position to create lasting change. How they do this should be determined by the understanding that can be gained from analysis of important perspectives, which can shed great light on the situation. By focusing on this understanding and using the potential and strengths of Black male adolescents rather than deficits, it may just be the…
References
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