Postsecondary attainment is often viewed as an accomplishment yielding financial, social, and economic gains. Moreover, education has been a passport to a better quality of life. However, certain populations are often hindered from achieving these aforementioned goals. In particular, Black males are viewed from a deficit perspective, especially when it comes to excelling and achieving in the sphere of education. The authors discuss the collaborative role of school psychologists and school counselors as change agents in the college and career readiness of Black males. Specifically, the authors present an innovative approach to using a culturally responsive multitiered system of support that infuses Critical Race Theory to address the negative postsecondary outcomes Black males encounter. School psychologists and school counselors are appropriately trained to implement this model; therefore, recommendations for policy, practice, and research are provided in this article.
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“You Are Going to School”: Exploring the Precollege Experiences of First-Year Black Males in Higher Education
Black males are often underrepresented in postsecondary education settings and frequently encounter many barriers in getting to college. Our aim in this qualitative investigation was to understand the precollege and college experiences of Black males who successfully enrolled in a postsecondary institution. Through a focus group interview, seven Black males in a living and learning community shared their experiences prior to and during enrollment at a highly selective, predominantly White institution. We used the grounded theory approach ( Strauss & Corbin, 1998 ) to analyze the focus group data and pinpoint thematic explanations of precollegiate and collegiate experiences of Black males. Based on the thematic findings, we offer specific recommendations on how school counselors can help Black males prepare and eventually matriculate in higher education.
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- PAR ID:
- 10353526
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Professional School Counseling
- Volume:
- 25
- Issue:
- 1_part_4
- ISSN:
- 1096-2409
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 2156759X2110400
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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