Remixing and Reimagining the Early Childhood School Experiences of Brilliant Black Boys

Abstract

As early as preschool, Black boys face low and negative expectations that contribute to excessive subjective-based discipline, over-referrals by teachers to special education, and under-referrals by teachers to gifted education. An increasing body of research demonstrates that the predominantly White female teaching force is complicit in allowing deficit thinking to compromise their views of Black boys’ languages, literacies, strengths, and cultural ways of being. We present an overview of these issues, with most attention devoted to gifted education, as it is a neglected topic when it comes to Black boys. We also share a formula for educators to adopt that sets minimum representation percentages in order to be equitable in gifted education for Black students in general and Black boys in particular.

Changing the narrative on African American boys: A systemic approach to school success

“…Students whose cultural characteristics are more consistent with the culture, norms, and expectations of the school have greater opportunities for academic success (Milner, 2010). Further, this “cultural capital” promotes their social mobility in a racially stratified society (Wright & Counsell, 2018). Students experiencing a “cultural mismatch” between their community and school are often less successful (Ladson-Billings, 2017).…”

“…The absence of a culturally responsive process can be detrimental for students of color; especially for African American boys. Oftentimes, biased processes result in African American boys being overrepresented in high-incidence special education areas that allows for greater subjectivity in the evaluation process (Wright & Counsell, 2018). They include but not limited to:…”

“…Culturally responsive practices in schools create a stronger core culture that is part of the formal curriculum and is known, supported, and sustained by all members of the community (Gay, 2010). Wright and Counsell (2018) have reported how this form of school culture benefits African American boys.…”

“…“Taking a culturally responsive strengths-based approach focuses on what African American boys know, understand, and can do as opposed to what they cannot do or what they do not know and understand. This (strength-based) approach does not engage African American boys from a deficit perspective, but rather seeks to learn about the strengths, gifts, and talents of African American boys, and the best practices to leverage these strengths and assets toward school success (Wright & Counsell, 2018, p. 20).”…”

“…These reading and math disparities have been attributed to the negative portrayal of African American boys and the pervasive deficit-oriented discourse about these young men (Howard, 2014). African American boys behaviors are often adultified and criminalized which places emphasis on problems and not promise (Goff et al, 2014; Wright & Counsell, 2018). To illuminate this point, Howard (2014) documented terms frequently used in describing African American males in education literature.…”