UCLA

Educational literature provides extensive evidence on the multitude of ways that schools inflict harm upon Black students, resulting in persistent disparities and inequitable outcomes (Annamma et al., 2019; Dumas, 2018; Love, 2023; Watson & Marie, 2022). While this body of research is crucial for identifying harmful practices and policies that disproportionately marginalize Black students, a focus on failure alone does not offer a clear pathway for supporting Black student achievement. To further our understanding of how to enhance academic achievement for Black students, this dissertation adopted an anti-deficit approach to ascertain educational practices that contribute to Black student success, offering a grounded theory for constructing effective schools for Black students. Through a multi-stakeholder qualitative methodological design this study, examined Black student success at two high-performing schools with a substantial Black student population. The stakeholders included in this research were Black students, Black caregivers, teachers, school leaders, and educational researchers. Data collection involved focus groups, interviews, and observations, providing a robust perspective on the strategies and practices that support the success of Black Students. Grounded theory methodology informed both data collection and analysis, enabling the identification of key factors contributing to Black student success and the exploration of diverse conceptualizations of student success. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of culturally responsive practices, a strong school culture, high expectations, and strong school-caregiver-community relationships in fostering Black student success. The findings also revealed a pluralistic and complex understanding of Black student success that extends beyond traditional academic metrics and is inextricably tied to Black folks’ social position within the United States. The insights generated from this research have significant implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to improve educational experiences for Black students. By centering Black student success, this dissertation provides an instructive guide for creating equitable and effective educational environments for Black students that can be adapted and replicated in other contexts.