Infinite Possibilities

Infinite Possibilities, Finite Feelings 1

Infinite Possibilities, Finite Feelings:Developing a College-Going Identity in a Transformative

Afterschool Academic Space

Roberto Rodriguez Saavedra

Teacher Education Program Master Inquiry Project

Professor J. Darby

University of California, Los Angeles

May 2013


Roberto Rodriguez Saavedra

SAT preparation, afterschool

11th Grade

Abstract:

A number of studies write about the inherent achievement gap that

exists between the different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic

groups as it relates to achievement on the SAT. This qualitative

study demonstrates the consorted effort to create a

transformative, culturally relevant academic afterschool space

for students from a community that is socioeconomically

disadvantaged to receive lessons to prepare them for the SAT and

college. Based on an analysis of surveys, informal interviews,

observations, daily reflections, and diagnostic examinations, I

argue that in order for us to create the transformative academic


spaces afterschool, we must work with students to engage and

empower them in process of creating and cultivating the space

based on their ideals. I further argue that if we seek to create

a college-going identity, then we must work to prepare them for

college by having them partake in the college experience. Lastly,

this is only possible if we work with our community, schools, and

students to make a consorted effort to create the links between

our communities and those institutions of higher learning.

Inquiry.

Para mis abuelos, Felipe Saavedra Ruiz y Ignacia Ruiz Garcia, que

me ensenaron el poder del dialogo y la historia.

Mis padres, Carmen Saavedra Ruiz y Roberto Rodriguez Ochoa, que

me entregaron una vida llena de amor y pasión; dedicación a la

familia.


Mis hermanas, Cecilia, Carmen y Juanita, y hermano, Felipe, que

siempre creyeron en mi habilidad académica y soportaron mis

genios.

To all fellow educators who have pushed back on me and have

helped me refocus my thoughts in constructive and oppressive

manners.

Most importantly to the students who set me on this path of

learning. They ultimately have made the most lasting impact on my

development since they have been the inspiration and motivation.

Their difficulties, their love and frustrations, have kept me

constantly learning and searching for a means of supporting their

development.

Each interaction is a learning moment; each experience is a time

to grow.

I am eternally grateful for their knowledge and their enrichment

of me.

Tlazocamati


Table of Contents

Segment I: p. 5-18

Ia. Inquiry School, Classroom Context and Emerging Question…

5-13

Ib. Funds of Knowledge, Oppression, and Resistance …

14-16

Ic. Critique and Question …16-18

Segment II: p. 19-53

IIa. Changing Site, Changing Context …19-21

IIb. Developing a Deeper Understanding …21-24

IIc. Questions …24-26

IId. Theoretical Frameworks …26-43

IIe. Action Plan …44-50

IIf. Data Collection …50-51

IIg. Subjects of Focus …51-53

Segment III: p. 54- 112

IIIa. Review: Context, Questions and Methodology …

54-65


IIIb. Frindings: Praxis and Reflection …

65-104

1) Creating and Cultivating a High Expectation, High

Support Model…66-78

2) Supporting Students Development of a College-Going

Identity …78-92

3) Engaging and Empowering Students in the Process

…92-104

IIIc. Understanding: SAT in an Afterschool Space &

Developing a College-Going Identity

…104-106

IIId. Development as a Social Justice Educator: Working

towards Justice and Empowerment

…106-112

References: Pg. 113-116

Appendix: Pg. 117-135

Segment I

Inquiry School, Classroom Context and Emerging Question

1a. Overview


The school where I work is located in a large, urban city in

the west coast of the United States in an increasingly

predominant first generation Latina/o population. It is located

at the border between two historically Black communities that

over the last decade have dramatically shifted in demographics

due to a large influx of Central American and third wave Mexicans

following the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant

Responsibility Act of 1996 (USCIS, 1996). According to District

records, most students are low-income students that live at or

below the base poverty level. According to State records, this

community has a high volume of renters and single parent homes

with most members of the community having barely completed a high

school education. State records also show that most students

score at or below State test standards with an increasing number

of students at the school designated as having an IEP; most being

behavioral rather than academic based designations that have

caused some students to react to their designation with

negativity and pessimism. As the school enters its second year of

a new administration with an increasing rate of students


remaining and scoring higher in state €€€€examinations, the

school is entering a new phase in its fundamental transformation.

The school, like the community, has been a constantly

shifting institution. Malcolm X Charter High School has only been

around for five years, but in that time it has already witnessed

the change of administration three times as well as a constantly

shifting group of teachers due to the stressful environment of

the school. The concentration on the state standards and

examinations intend to promote a school culture that seeks to

ready students for college. The constant reminder of a college-

going culture is promoted in the school through the displays on

its walls, within the classrooms, and in the hallways. The

attention of the school to promote a sense of “community” through

structured activities that are intended to promote tolerance and

understanding, but the response to these efforts are a mixed bag

of reactions from students and teachers who see some of the

activities as pointless or countering the intended purpose of

creating a sense of community. The school administrators’

unintended disconnect from the students and teachers, although

they intend to promote a sense of community within the school, is


a continuity of the paradox that this large, low income,

community has historically faced.

History of the Community

This once predominantly middle class, White, and Jewish

community was promulgated to be a large “bedroom city” for the

growing western urban area in the early 1920s. Its location and

proximity to the large, developing urban center and the

increasing migration of Midwestern whites westward made the area

prime, cheap real estate that could be settled and cultivated to

fit the needs of the large migrant population. Yet, as the city

grew so did the necessity for housing since a large, Southern

Black population also mounted a large migration westward into the

large urban centers of the United States a decade earlier

(Abrams, 1966). The racial covenants and redlining that was

present in these large urban centers made this community, like

many others, restricted from acquisition by people that were not

of White descendants. The Rule of Hypodescent, also called the

1/16 rule, was written into property deeds to ensure that

communities maintained their lily-white or All-American

designation (Griffin, 1979). Therefore, it was no surprise that


once the housing restrictions were lifted, those who could afford

to buy property in this area did. The new residents were subject

to abuse, harassment, and even death, but the opportunity of

living in these restricted areas was worth the risk for many of

the people who found entry into these communities (Griffin,

1979).

Public policy and attempts to contain the spread of the

Black and Mexican populations to other communities lead to the

development and expansion of much of the wartime public housing

and/or urban housing developments, suburbs, and freeways: this

was the beginning of the “white flight” that transpired

throughout most of the large urban centers of the United States.

Although public housing, like much throughout the United States,

was originally intended for the War effort and designated to last

no longer than 50 years, these localities still remain and are

designated as semi-permanent residences. The continued

designation of this community as being a semi-permanent area of

residence has become normalized considering the constantly

shifting population within the community and the popular belief

of a lack of civic structure that requires constant police


surveillance, creating a hyper-criminal environment due to the

large, omnipresent police force that patrols the community.

Although the era of segregation has long passed, the

community has continued to face chronic marginalization due to

the minimal resources available to the community at large. It has

made the normalized perspective of this large, low-income urban

community as a “ghetto” without acknowledging that the

designations imposed upon this community are a result of the

state imposing an ideological framework that has designated this

community as such as a direct result of public policy and private

enterprise devaluing the community’s wealth (Abrams, 1966).

This community has a history of resistance and advocacy.

Although this resistance is near the core of this large western

urban city, it remains at the margins of sociopolitical

influence. This community has a number of community-based

organizations that intend to provide services to the community

at-large. Even with the recent cutbacks to social empowerment

programs and services dedicated to providing training for the

large impoverished community, the unrelenting spirit of

perseverance remains intact even through all the negativity


present. The community, although it is constantly shifting, is

constantly changing to fit the conditions present. Community-

based advocacy remains key to maintaining the community’s

development. Yet, the response to change in the community is a

touchy subject that leads to variation of reactions and responses

that stem (much like the response to community builders within

the school setting) from an unintended disconnect of the

administrators of the community and the community itself. Yet,

Blauner (1969) would note that the communities much like this one

are subject to the continuation of internal colonization model

and the continued subjection of the people within the community

to conditions that systematically devalue their culture, their

fundamental existence.

History of the School

Malcolm X Charter High School is a part of a cluster of

charter schools that are a means of transforming the educational

outlook in the community. Malcolm X Charter High School was

originally at a different site, with another small charter

school, before it moved to its own site to allow for a growing

school population. Now, in its fifth year of existence, Malcolm X


has grown to have over 500 students with a class size average of

26 students. The school population is a reflection of the

community, with over 70% being Latina/o. Yet, that large Latina/o

percentage erases the identity of the students who identify and

actually are of Belizean or of mixed descendancy (parents of

Latina/o and Black descedancy), and therefore their self-

identification varies from the district identification. Concepts

of race and ethnic identification vary on the students’

experience, and therefore the generalization of the student

population as being a dichotomy of a Latina/o and or a Black

identification experience is inaccurate (Tafoya, 2007). Yet, this

essential dichotomization of the student population has

historically caused issues with the perception of the students in

the school as being Black or Latina/o issues rather than academic

issues that affect a diverse group of students.

As I have previously noted, the administration at the campus

has changed a number of times and so have the teachers present at

the school site. Part of this charter company’s plan to transform

the educational outlook in the community was to hold schools

accountable in maintaining the academic rigor and providing the


sufficient support to ensure success. The state examination data

demonstrates the intent to ensure academic success has marginally

succeeded with an increase in scores and graduation rates. Yet

this has meant that the academic program at the campus is limited

in regards to the number of AP, Honors, and Elective courses that

are provided at the campus due to the manner in which the courses

and how students are selected to be a part of these courses.

Students course “choices” are highly based on test scores rather

than the students’ interest. Few of the courses offer the

students the choice to take alternatives to fit their needs and

desires. Malcolm X chooses its courses based on standardized

testing scores and benchmark scores of students based on state

standards. The emphasis on testing and teaching students

according to the standards and testing rigor causes a

conflagration of the priority to teach students critical

comprehension and an inquiry-based curriculum. Due to this

essential contradiction between the ideals and the reality of the

school model, there is a fundamental revolt, from not only

students but also teachers, whose ideals become difficult to

conform to the school model, creating a tense school community.


For example, students and teachers feel that the constant test

environment does not really help promote learning outside of the

test environment resulting in “pointless” lessons.

The attempts to change the school to the transformative

space it could be have had its growing pains. Currently it is in

its second year of transformation under an authoritative

principal who since his entry into the school has driven a hard

line to bring the school and its environment in line with the

“college-driven” school model. This has meant many essential

changes to the manner in which the school runs with an additional

Counselor, Special Education teacher, and Vice Principal to help

in the coordination of the school. The school is decorated with

reminders of the expectation to go to college but also to display

the work of the student and their successes. The record of their

previous attendance and standardized testing scores are on

display on the walls, along with the expectations for students to

exceed the previous records. Yet, these displays of previous and

current “successes” for some of the student population appear as

“bullshit cuz they only show the best.” The students have the

capability to do rigorous work; yet the fact that their grades


are largely based on their ability to score well on examinations

serve as a deterrent for some students to do homework and

classwork since “it don’t make sense for me to do work if they

only care if I pass the test.”

Malcolm X Charter High School and the cluster of schools

that have come into the community present a possibility to

transform the educational outlook of the community. In its time

in the community, the school’s emphasis to graduate students at a

higher rate with more resources and possibilities to excel has

been met. In its success, there have remained some of the issues

before “The Transformation”: high administrative and teacher

turnover resulting in an unstable school environment that is

inconsistent and needs to rebuild every year. The lack of

consistency and routine in the school coupled with the feeling of

essential revolt in the school have resulted in a students’

expectation of the school that counters the intended high

expectation, high support model the school intends to cultivate

(Gibbons, 2009). The idea of success becomes a seeming

contradiction for some students since the school’s model of

success differs from the perspective of some of the students’


perspective of the same ideal. Creating the communal drive

towards a similar perspective of success within the students is a

part of the fundamental transformation of the educational outlook

of the community; yet in order to cultivate the fundamental

cultural shift there needs to be a clear understanding of the

students’ plethora of perspectives.

The History of the Students

The students of Malcolm X Charter High School are leaders in

their own right. Yet, the history passed down by the

administrations and teachers who have been there reflect badly on

the students. The students are self-defeating, even reactionary,

in instances. However, it is not due to them, honest to heart,

not caring for their future but it is a response to the

conditions that they find in the school (Solorzano & Bernal,

2001). The students are very cognizant of what is going on in the

campus, and they seek to know what to do to ensure that they get

the most of their education, but when the school environment is

unstable, their confidence in the school structure becomes

questionable. Their ability to trust and respect the authority

that is intended to impose upon them becomes a matter of placing


a belief on someone, something, who they do not feel can last or

that they sense does not want to be there. Why would anyone seek

support and create a relationship with anyone whom they sense

will go away? Students seek those supports to success and those

spaces to be able to grow, but when they cannot feel they can

receive reciprocity, a mutual trust and respect, why would they

bother to give the same?

The students of Malcolm X Charter High School are trying to

counter the conditions that they find in their school and their

community. The students are well aware the expectations and know

what they need to do, but for most, their ability to develop the

relationship with school is difficult due to the feeling of non-

ownership that most students feel. They cannot wait to go home

and leave the school premises not because they do not like the

school but because there are very few spaces for them to interact

freely, to do the work that they know has to be finished.

Students seek a sanctuary for them to be able to eat and do work

afterschool that allows them to let loose with friends, a space

they can call their own. They seek a space to grow, learn, and

develop; yet there are few spaces to do so.


There is an afterschool program at the school. This program

has had limits imposed upon it because of the transformation

under this new administration. The community-based afterschool

program, which has been a part of the school since its inception,

is in its last year of its contract. Earlier this school year, a

student led drive for the school to keep its grant with the

organization caused the principal to lock down the afterschool

program because of the attempt for students to walkout to protest

the ending of the contract. The results of the students’ protest

have lead the afterschool space to become almost non-existent

because the students know that the afterschool program is under

the control of the principal, not of the community anymore. The

perceived control of the afterschool program by the school’s

administration has changed the afterschool space from a sanctuary

to a depressive space that few students are willing to stay in

due to a lack of security and comfort that they had established.

The changing power dynamics of the afterschool spaces has

led to a change in the perspective of the students. The students

often times reciprocate the feelings of those whom they associate

with, and acknowledging the feelings of the other, they feel that


the trust for the afterschool program that they have grown to

love is tainted. They recognize that if the afterschool program

tries to support another student led revolt against the school

authority, they might lose something that for some of the

students has become a part of their association to family. A

number of students commented to afterschool staff how, “I trust

you guys more than my mom or dad, “You are like my dad,” “If you

weren’t here I don’t know where I would be by now.” Their ties to

one another are still there; yet there is a sense of a lack of

stability and routine that the students desire of their space.

Therefore, the students have gone off to seek those spaces that

they can call their own. They have found teachers, others homes,

but some of the students have returned to the streets that they

once left behind. Numerous students that once were into lives of

gangs and crime were able to find a guidance and sanctuary

afterschool, but little by little, the students moved away from

the space. The afterschool program has been the place where they

have been able to grow and develop a sense of self with

supportive adults that try to be responsive to the needs of the

students. Although the grossly underfunded program serves over a


hundred students daily, the resources it has at its disposal have

come to mean a lot for students who have very little themselves.

The students have the potential to create transformative

spaces and cultivate the learning communities that we seek to

create for them. At Malcolm X Charter High School, these

students’ act of defiance was a call out for the administration

to recognize that they are willing to work with them to create

the transformation that they seek. Yet, instead of making it a

powerful moment of transformational resistance, it turned into an

act of defiance that has lead students to see their effort to

organize as a futile pursuit that had no reason, no purpose. Yet,

the students are cognizant of their potential and recognize the

power they have, but without the support from other adults who

they trust and respect, they became deactivated, detached from

their potential to create and cultivate transformative spaces.

The afterschool program has come to use what Tyrone Howard notes

as being effective teaching techniques for African American

students: they are teachers who have established family,

community, and home-like characteristics (to the best of their

ability); culturally connected caring relationships with


students; and used certain types of verbal communications and

affirmations (Howard, 2002).

1b. Funds of Knowledge, Oppression and Resistance

The students of Malcolm X Charter High School have a wealth

of talents and knowledge that come from rich experiences growing

up in this community as well as others. This school is on the

border, as I have mentioned before, between two historically

black communities, and therefore there is a diffusion of culture

between the Black and Latina/o students of the school that often

times bring them together rather than separate them. Although

they acknowledge the shared struggle to survive, it is often

times a repressed knowledge due to a desire to maintain their

ideal of not needing help from anyone else. Yet, within their

cliques, they find those fellow students that can help them with

work and ask those questions that for some are difficult to ask

because they “don’t want to seem dumb.” They have strong social

ties to one another within and outside the classroom setting;

they are very critical of one another that for some has proven to


be “unwanted drama” and for others “allowing their homies to

keeping them real.” Holding each other accountable and being the

support for each other like family are traits that many of the

afterschool students share.

They are cognizant of what they need to do to achieve

academic success. However, the fact that their community has such

a negative perception makes the students’ possibility to progress

a marginal possibility. Thus, education becomes fundamentally

devalued. While some of the students can adjust to the realities

of their life, some opt to try to escape them in positive forms.

During afterschool, they can opt to go to teacher office hours,

be a part of APEX credit recovery, do tutoring, do one of the

afterschool activities (nonacademic), or simply relax and hang

out with friends. A large number of students have increasingly

opted to go home rather than stay afterschool. Many of the

students that chose to stay around were those who have a strong

tie to the program and the staff. The afterschool program

maintained its business as usual attitude with the students to

attempt to cultivate the family culture they have after school.

They did a Dia de Los Muertos event as well as Thanksgiving


festivity with the help of the students to try to maintain the

family atmosphere. Little by little, these efforts have gone on

to bring back some of the power to the afterschool program and

show students the continued effort to maintain the afterschool

space open for them. Yet the shift in the power dynamics have

made some doubtful of the program and others detached since they

know that the program will not be back next year.

The students are what make the afterschool program what it

is. They have the power to create what they wish in the space. If

it is an artwork, a piece of music, an event for fellow students,

or create a group, they have the license to do so as long as it

creates trust and respect among them. They create their cliques,

share work, have fun, and are there for one another even when the

situations in their lives get tough. They are critical thinkers,

and they enjoy the challenge of a deep conversation that makes

them think deeply about a topic. Often times they can verbalize a

very critical response, but when it comes to writing a response

of the same nature, it is difficult. When working on them with

writing responses, we often have to brainstorm ideas before

outlining due to the amount of information that they have within


their knowledge pool. Therefore, I spend much of the tutoring

time scaffolding responses and teaching them critical

comprehension techniques like the CATCH method or doing say,

mean, matter charts to create a written reflection of the

critical verbal responses they give me.

Math, on the other hand, is a struggle for most students due

to the overall sentiment that their teachers are not properly

teaching them. They have difficulty following systematic response

orders, but once they figure the response structure for Math

problems, they find “shortcuts” to the response, which as long as

they understand the process are perfectly fine. The students want

to know; yet they often maintain that feeling that they cannot

get help by anyone. I have found that sitting down with them and

trying to work to the root of the issue often leads to a non-

school related problem that has them emotionally detached or

“caught up” to the point where the afterschool space becomes a

place of healing and a place of comfort. For those students who

can overcome these feelings, they employ their ability to help

their fellow student out to the best of their ability, sometimes

with helping them with their work.


History and Science are subjects that students seldom seek

help in even though they know that I can help them. For History,

the issue is on creating a critical response to a reading:

getting the main ideas from an extensive reading and applying the

knowledge to DBQ style short essay and response structures.

Students have been better in employing different methods from

class and from one-on-one tutoring. Although most students still

require the ability to infer and correlate responses with deeper

concepts, Science, usually Chemistry, the issues with fractions

and decimals becomes a constant theme that students eventually

get a hang of after reviewing these math concepts. For physics,

plugging into the equations and being able to visualize these

problem, is difficult for most students. They use the GUESS

method to try to understand the problems, but what they are

figuring is that the method does not help all of them. They are

being able to correlate this method with DBQ questions since it

allows them to be able to analyze some documents that do not make

sense to them in particular on why the reading is important to

understand the historical event they are trying to understand and


how this historical event correlates to their understanding of

history.

1c. Critique and Question

As a Chicano, heterosexual male from a working-class,

Catholic family from a community very much like the students I

work with, I have a distinct asset due to my seemingly close

association to the students and their daily struggle. My

experience has some common experiences that have connected with

some of the students. I have come to identify very closely to a

number of students due to my background, but this does not mean

that all students have come to accept me as part of their

community. They acknowledge my commitment to them and their

success; however, they come to define success in their lives. My

relation to them as a warm demander has made me a parental figure

to some of the students because they know that I am constantly

monitoring their grades and how they are doing. They have come to

know my background and my dedication to their perseverance over

the conditions in their community and in their lives. I offer

them one-on-one tutoring as well as mentorship to the best of my

ability. In return, they offer me their invaluable perspective


and knowledge that allows us to learn from one another in good

and bad times.

I have worked with these students, who are predominantly

Latina/o fe/male, in the struggle to maintain a transformative,

supportive space where they can grow academically, and

emotionally; thereby, to counter the oppressive norms that they

have come to accept as an inevitable reality of their school and

community is my intent. Yet, I have come to realize that this

work is a lifelong struggle that I will always work for. The

resources and means to cultivate the dream that I hope to provide

is part of a long process that will require some grants and

supportive staff. In this inquiry I will only begin to collect

the data and define the structure that will be most beneficial

for students in the community. I will look at the students’

academic profiles and cultivate a tutor-mentor relationship that

can serve as a means of developing a transformative community

space that will be beneficial following the transition of the

afterschool program to one ran by the charter. The question I

pose is how can I work with students independently and communally

to preserve the community space that they have come to


acknowledge as their own? What can we do collectively to create

the high expectation, high support school model that can ensure

that the students feel they are being supported academically,

emotionally, and culturally to achieve their best? Which tools

and resources can be brought in to support this transformative,

community space? How can students help in establishing,

implementing, and cultivating this space?

I recognize that my inquiry and its results will vary

according to the constantly changing conditions within the

school, the afterschool program, the students, the community, and

my life as well. The work that I am choosing to enter is intended

to counter many of the preconceived notions, and there was

pushback already in regards to getting students active in

organizing. I know that much of the work I do is perceived as

being antagonizing, the attempt now grounded on teaching students

how to come together around academic work and becoming supportive

entities for one another as they continue their journey through

high school. The students of Malcolm X Charter High School know

what it takes to succeed; now they need to apply it as

effectively as possible.


Segment II

IIa. Changing Sites, Changing Context

The love for the community and the students of Malcolm X

Charter High School pushed me to search for a position where I

could gain the knowledge, tools, and resources that could help me

be able to provide the students of Malcolm X more concrete

academic support as they enter the next phase of their high

school experience. I chose to work as an SAT tutor in order to

get a better grasp of what an effective SAT preparation program


looks like and how to implement this type of program in an

afterschool setting.

The SAT prep program, Crossover, is a program that has been

around for a couple of years providing service to a number of

charter schools in nearby areas; areas that, like the site of

Malcolm X, are located in neighborhoods that are socially

constructed as historically socioeconomically disadvantaged

communities of predominantly Latina/o and Black populations. Yet,

these school sites vary from Malcolm X in that their school

cultures are far more established and refined due to long

standing administrations, and teachers, who have created

communities of learners that feel a sense of ownership of their

academic space. The high challenge, high support model present at

these sites places upon the students the agency to create and

cultivate the positive relationships that they seek on their path

to entering a university (Gibbons, 2009). The scale of the

Crossover SAT prep program has increased this year; yet the

purpose of the program remains to provide the best possible SAT

prep program for students from communities that are

socioeconomically disadvantaged.


I decided to work at four different sites within the range

of Malcolm X Charter High School because I wanted to maintain an

emphasis on working in communities very similar to that of

Malcolm X. Three of the sites (Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Dubois,

and Ida B. Wells) are during school and a part of the mandatory

curriculum while the last site, Angela Davis Academy, is

afterschool and a mandatory part of their college preparation.

Douglass, Dubois, and Wells are schools that have been in

existence for over 5 years while Davis has only been present 3

years. They all employ small school models that use exams to

establish baselines to measure students’ comprehension of

standards-based learning. They all employ strict dress and

behavior policies that intend to create “a sense of unity and

community responsibility.” Although these sites have very similar

institutional structures, the sense of community present at these

sites vary in the manner of support and management of the

Crossover SAT prep

The Crossover SAT prep program is a well-structured,

academic program that at times leaves certain students out. The

intent of the SAT prep program is to provide the most effective


SAT prep program with a limited amount of time. We are provided

with the following materials by Crossover SAT prep: 1) A lesson

plan book that has all the materials we will need for each

lesson. 2) A copy of the student handbook in order to see and

practice problems students might cover during the lesson. 3) Our

own SAT prep book so we go over the questions that we will cover

with the students and effectively plan for any questions that

might arise from their practice. Before we began, we receive a

daylong training to prepare us for our first lessons. The

emphasis was around best tutoring practices for the different SAT

sections. Although our lessons are given to us, we are asked to

prepare according to the needs of our students. We receive

whiteboards and markers in case we need to have students model

their responses, we need to clarify any questions they have, or

to check for understanding. Due to the time crunch, tutors rush

sometimes to complete the required lessons in time. Yet, as

tutors, we plan accordingly before each lesson in order to ensure

that the students are able to cover the necessary material in

time. This often leads to direct teaching which for some students

is effective, while other students who require more scaffolding


in regards to breaking down concepts and ideas (even with the

break downs already provided and create for each lesson) often

requires more hands on approaches to these concepts. I have

observed that the program ultimately is structured more as a

program within a structured school time and space rather than an

afterschool program. The methods that work during the school day

do not seem to transcend as effectively in the afterschool space

due to a number of factors.

IIb. Developing A Deeper Understanding

The intense academic model of Crossover SAT prep is

effectively disrupted by the lack of an effective structure in

the afterschool school space. The high challenge, high support

model (Gibbons, 2009) that is present during school is negated

afterschool by lack of a supportive administrative school staff

that works to ensure that the program runs effectively

afterschool. Mr. Nebula, a chemistry teacher at the school site,

does everything in his power to provide the support and guidance

Crossover tutors need to implement the program; yet there remains

the fact that he is a lone dedicated teacher with six passionate

tutors seeking to provide this service. He works to have


materials ready and present for us to use when we need them as

well as providing us with any additional information (academic,

personal) that might help us be able to engage students that

require that extra scaffold or wait time. Yet, his dedication is

not enough when there is a lack of resources available for

students to use since they are not trusted to keep their SAT prep

book. We provide the students handbooks and packets that are

necessary for the program, but there have been a number of times

students do not have their handbooks or their packets which has

us (Mr. Nebula and the tutors) modifying the lesson to fit the

needs of the students.

The ultimate factor that causes issues with the program is

the time and the infrequency of the SAT prep program. While

Douglass, Dubois, and Wells run every week on a particular day

during school, Davis runs on Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6pm. The

afterschool schedule often conflicts with the students’ schedule

especially if they are a part of other school organizations or

have family issues to tend to that students prioritize over SAT

preparation, coupled with the grouping of the students that

attend every other week on either Tuesday or Thursday. The


inability to establish a routine and maintain a high challenge,

high support model results in an SAT program that is inconsistent

with the needs of the students it intends to serve.

The students of Angela Davis Academy have demonstrated to me

a spirit very much like those of the students of Malcolm X and

are by far in closer proximity to the same living conditions.

Their relentless spirit pushes these students to strive towards

their goals recognizing that this is an opportunity that some of

their family members never received. They are the first to have

the opportunity to not only finish high school but also go to a

university. Some of the students know each other well while

others have never been in the same classes. Some know and

acknowledge their academic prowess while others are barely

beginning to believe in their intellectual ability. Not every

student sees a university as a future, but they all work to

completing their coursework to at least get their high school

diploma. Yet, this is a perception based upon the observation of

a fraction of the whole group of students who have the

opportunity to take part in Crossover SAT Prep Program. With low

attendance, the ability to have a consistent group of students


and to build a rapport with them becomes a difficult task.

Therefore, it is also important in understanding the support that

an individual student might need and modifications that are

required in order to ensure s/he gets the same understanding from

the lesson as the rest of the students in the group. These

planned changes need to be done ahead of time; yet I, as well as

other tutors, cannot effectively plan without getting to know the

students. The necessity for me to be able to connect and engage

with students becomes important in creating the academic space

where the students feel comfortable with me.

The time that I have been here, I have had the opportunity

to observe the students and their interactions. They tend to be

very close to one another; yet there are the few who give a

critical eye to the mentors who are providing the SAT prep.

Students recognize me due to a few things: I am the only Chicano,

male tutor; I attend a well-known university that some of them

dream of going to; and I come from a similar background to

theirs. The other tutors, although they are mostly white, middle

class women, strive to provide the best possible SAT prep

sessions as possible with the given tools and resources. They


work hard to make the SAT as relevant as possible to the

students. I use Spanish when necessary in order to connect to

them and frequently try to tie in cultural references into the

lessons although this is not always possible since the SAT is

structured around cultural references that some students might

not be able to grasp. Fellow tutors try to do the same though

with differing levels of success. Often times there are uses of

language that requires extra scaffolding for students to reach

the critical comprehension that is necessary for students to

contextualize the questions, passages, provided which students

respond to at varying levels of success.

The heavy emphasis for students to pass standardized tests

has not allowed students to develop fully analytical test-taking

habits that are more applicable to the SAT. When a school culture

focuses on standardized testing and answering every question, the

logic of the SAT to leave questions unanswered becomes counter-

intuitive. I literally had a student ask me 5 times, “So I can

leave questions unanswered in some sections of the test?” I

responded with a yes and an explanation of why, and he could not

believe me: “This test is about knowing what and when to answer.


Coming to a logical conclusion based on concepts that you have

learned, or are suppose to learn.” I tried to evaluate their

academic strengths and weakness early on based on their

examinations; yet time and again the students told me, “I really

didn’t try”; “I didn’t get it so I put whatever”; “I just wanted

to get over with it.” Although Angela Davis Academy is not alone

in these kinds of responses to the examination, overall their SAT

scores were below those of the other schools. Compared to the

other schools, their cumulative SAT score is 100 pts below that

of the school. How can a school very much like the others have

scores that have an average that low? What conditions are present

at the schools that do not empower students to perform at their

full potential?

IIc. Questions

As a result of what I have observed in Angela Davis Academy

with Crossover SAT prep, my questions return to those that I

asked at Malcolm X Charter High School:

1. What tools, resources, and methods can be brought in to

support this transformative afterschool academic space to help

develop a college-going identity?


This question is based on observing the students disconnect

from the plausibility of entering an institution of higher

learning, seeing the institution of higher learning as an

impossibility that is far from the expectations they have come to

identify with. Their fundamental disconnect from the SAT, from

what I have observed, has been based on the idea that they do not

see the basis for the examination if their expectation is not to

attend a university. “Why should I waste my time taking an exam

or prepare for it if I am not only destined to fail but if I do

not plan to go to a university?”

2. What can we do collectively (Crossover SAT Prep, Angela

Davis Academy, Mr. Nebula) to create and cultivate the high

expectation, high support school model that can preserve the

students’ feeling of being supported academically, emotionally,

and culturally to achieve their best?

The students disconnect from the mentors, and lack of

accountability has been prevalent in the first few sessions of

the Crossover SAT prep program has lead to inconsistency with the

students. Based on the cultural disconnect of some of the

students from the SAT and the possibility of attending a


university, I feel it an imperative for me to work to create an

academic space for students to feel welcomed to explore their

full potential and attain a level of success they can feel proud

of. If the intent is to have students strive to attain their

academic best, then it is imperative that the academic space

provides a space where they feel empowered to learn.

3. How can students help in establishing, implementing, and

cultivating this academic space?

Students have commented that there are few spaces or

opportunities for them to be able to do things on their own. They

have few teachers who give them the time and space for them to be

able to do activities that they can demonstrate skills and

potential outside of the academic activities they already do. I

see within them the potential to be able to create a lasting

change in the school if they can come together to not only attend

but also support one another in the process. The program seeks to

provide them the tools and resources for them to prepare for the

SAT but also for college; my intention is to go further and

support them in developing those leadership skills that I see

developing within each of the students.


The first question is my primary inquiry question. Yet, in

order to respond to the needs of the students, I require the

investigation and implementation of an inquiry that intends to

address issues that I have observed transpiring at an

institutional, school, and student level. Therefore, in order for

me to develop my approach to systemic issues, I must be willing

to address issues at each level for me to truly address the

pervasive problem of students being culturally disconnected from

the university and this examination. In a school that has a high

challenge, low support model, the examination has some students

feeling frustrated, impotent, due to a gap in the expectation

versus their internalized potential.

IId. Theoretical Framework

Understanding the Institution(s):

In order to counter the institutional racism that is

omnipresent in the community and in the school, I have to be free

to speak truth to power. The conditions in the community are that

it has had a contemporary negative connotation due to the

normalization of the idea that it is a “ghetto”: a socio-

politically marginalized community of historically


disenfranchised people. This idea becomes normal within members

of the community that they speak of it as a character trait

rather than a form of institutional oppression. Most students at

Angela Davis Academy, as well as the other sites, are cognizant

of the negative connotation of their community and the lowering

of academic expectations of them because of their experience.

Ruiz and Moll (2002) note Valenzuela’s (1999) idea of Subtractive

Schooling creating:

A social distance between the students and the world of

school knowledge…that one’s language and knowledge are

inadequate because they are not privileged (formalized

and accorded special status) by the school. This mind-

set (the superiority of the other and the inferiority

of one’s own) is accepted as “natural,” as just the way

things are. (p. 365)

Repeatedly I have heard this idea spoken out by students at

the different school sites, sometimes in jest, others in the

upmost seriousness. The idea that they are not up to par with

other (White) students reproduces within them the negative

connotations that they have come to internalize as being truth.


The idea that schools serves as a means of socializing students

to fit within a sector of society is not a new concept at all.

Bowles and Gintis (2012) wrote about the idea that the social

interactions at school correspond with the social interactions at

the work place. Schools prepare students for adult work roles by

socializing people to function well, and without complaint, in

the hierarchical structure of the modern corporation. Schools

perpetuate or reproduce the social relationships and attitudes

needed to sustain the existing dominate economic and class

relations of the larger society (pp. 265-288). It is not news

that our capitalistic society works to maintain a sector of our

society limited to the needs of the society. By labeling the

students from early on to fit particular sets of behavioral

trait, as Rist (1977) wrote, “Labels are applied to individuals

which fundamentally shift their definitions of self and which

further reinforce the behavior which had initially prompted the

social reaction” (p. 58). Students have come to internalize these

labels as truths to their definition of self. Students come to

identify with the labels given, therefore becoming normalized

notions of their identity. These labels become difficult norms to


counter due to their incessant reproduction and dissemination not

only within popular culture but also within the community. How

can a student counter a perceived negative notion of self if this

idea is presented to her/ him every day?

Rogoff (2003) via Tyrone Howard (2010) notes that:

1. Cultural processes occur through everyday activities

2. Understanding one’s own cultural heritage requires

understanding multiple, contrasting perspectives and

perceptions that differentiate significance of

everyday activities.

3. Cultural processes are multifaceted relations that

function through the use of numerous aspects of

community.

4. Culture and the communities that shape culture are

in a state of continual transformation

5. There is no “right way” to engage human behavior nor

cultural practices. (p. 60)

Students develop a sense of self through their lived experience;

within each individual, there is an infinite amount of

possibilities to their development as human beings. Each student


has had a life and educational experience that has been unique to

his or her development. Therefore, it is imperative to see the

students as individuals with unique experiences. There are

commonalities and common threads of thought that have been

expressed which although they sound familiar must not be thought

of as normal because we, like the different forms of

institutional oppression (Racism, Sexism, Heterosexism, Ableism,

etc.), are constantly changing in definition and manifestation.

Although there are these different forms of institutional

oppressions, the students have an ability to navigate through

these spaces through the employment of their different forms of

cultural capital: aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic,

familial, and resistant capital. Yosso (2005) writes that these 6

forms of cultural capital are part of a “dynamic processes that

build on one another as part of community cultural wealth”

(pp.76-81). Students are cognizant that the conditions are

stacked against them, but they employ their strengths to counter

the lowered expectations. They work collectively to find ways of

ensuring that they “make it out.” Ruiz and Moll (2002) mention

that Rodriguez (1999) noted, “The character and dimension of the


schooling of Latinos should be analyzed not independently, as is

usually the case, but rather in relation to the situation of

African American children, for they share similar political

environments and colonial forms of education“ (p. 370). The

experiences of the students within the school and community are

not the same, but the fact is that they share common experiences

within the plethora of factors that lead to the student’s

development as a human being. Institutional factors affect the

manner in which students develop academically, and therefore it

is important for me to be cognizant of these factors but also

develop a means of working to counter these conditions.

Understanding the School:

In the contemporary era of high stakes testing and

standards-based education, the ability to provide students the

critical comprehension that they require to complete the SAT at

the nationwide level becomes as the students would put it, “a

mission.” As Bigelow (2009) noted,

Standards and standardized tests create an environment where

students learn and memorize disjointed facts because they are

“important.” Therefore, a multicultural approach to teaching


becomes contradictory to what students need to know in order to

pass these tests. It, therefore, delegitimizes material that was

not on the tests because it obviously was not important enough to

learn since it was not tested. Moreover, standards and tests tend

to paper over contradictions that the multicultural approach

attempts to examine critically. As Stoskopf (2009) acknowledges,

“The academic tracking begun by ‘yesterday’s’ eugenicists is an

institutional legacy we live with today. Educational reform that

is driven by high stakes tests stands a good chance of

entrenching that legacy” (p. 51).

The fact is that the SAT, much like other standardized

tests, are relatives of the antique IQ tests. Although there has

been a push to make the exam more relevant to the increasingly

diverse nation, the fact remains that the achievement of most

Black and Latino/a students on the SAT are below those of most

Asian and White students. I say most because to generalize that

all White and Asian students do better on the examination than

Black and Latino/a students would not be accurate since there are

a number of factors that contribute to the success in the

examination beyond the academic rigor a student receives. Berlak


(2009) discusses the achievement gap between races that persists,

even when parents’ income and wealth is comparable. Convay and

Carbonaro (2012) note in their research that, “Students from

higher-SES [Socioeconomic Status] backgrounds have higher levels

of academic achievement and are more likely to go further in

school than lower-SES students” (p. 216). Gutstein (2009), in a

partnership between students and teacher, created a mathematical

correlation of SAT test grades and its relation to how much a

family earns. The students addressed a contemporary issue

regarding the SAT in mathematical terms and how these numbers

reflect a continuum of racial disparity. This exercise proved

difficult for some students to deal with since the students were

able to recognize the inherent achievement gap on the SAT. Berlak

(2009) does the same in explaining how the achievement gap is

used to perpetuate racist notions about the intelligence of

“minority” students. He discusses how systems in place in today’s

educational system put students of color at a disadvantage

through no fault of their own; students are subjected to the

systemic and structural bias that socialize certain members of


our society based on perceive commitments and capacities to fit a

particular role within society. Parsons (1959) once wrote:

The socialization function may be summed up as the

development in individuals of the commitments and

capacities which are essential prerequisites of their

future role-performance… Commitments may be broken down

in turn into two components: commitment to the

implementation of the broad values of society, and

commitment to the performance of a specific type of

role within the structure of society… Capacities can

also be broken down into two components, the first

being competence or the skill to perform the tasks

involved in the individual’s roles, and the second

being “role responsibility” or the capacity to live up

to other people’s expectations of the interpersonal

behavior appropriate to these roles. (p. 36)

We, as educators, serve as mediators of the development of

the students since the educational system serves as means of

socializing students to “fit” within the society. The society

provides us the responsibility to provide students with an


education that intends to facilitate the students’ development as

members of the society. Rist (1977) notes that, “For the

expectations of the teacher to be realized, both the teacher and

the student must move toward a pattern of interaction where

expectations are clearly communicated and the behavioral response

is consonant with the expected patterns” (p. 57).

If I seek to counter the norms and lowered expectations that

students may have experienced, I must work with the students to

ensure that our expectations are reciprocated. Therefore, if I

seek to create this into a transformative afterschool space with

them, I must model what I expect of them. At the same time I have

to be cognizant of the realities that students face as research

demonstrates that “income and time constraints served as

significant barriers that lowered participation rates for low-SES

[socioeconomic status] families” in extracurricular activities

(Convay & Carbonaro, 2012). This research acknowledges that,

“continued school and neighborhood segregation in the United

States creates different extracurricular opportunity structures

for students, which drive unequal access and rates of

participation” (p. 221). Their research also notes that, “EAs


[extracurricular activities] provide students with an opportunity

to interact with authority figures and privileged peers,

providing with access to important non-cognitive skills that

facilitate academic learning” (p. 221). After school spaces and

activities can serve as transformative experiences that build

upon the cultural wealth that exists within each student. Even

with the existence of different forms of oppression, students

have the means of countering the conditions that intend to limit

their ability to go beyond the limited expectations. With proper

support, students have the ability to develop a positive identity

that counters stereotypes of aptitude and intelligence.

Understanding the Students:

As Tyrone Howard (2010) makes sure to clarify to us as

social justice educators:

Culture is not bound exclusively by one’s race,

ethnicity, or place of origin, but is shaped by a

myriad of factors. A narrow view of culture fails to

recognize how geography, immigration status,

generation, social class, gender, family history,

migration patterns, language, and religious


affiliations all have major influences on how culture

is developed. These factors can differ greatly between

members of the same ethnic group, and at times can be

quite similar to those of individuals who are from

different ethnic groups. (p. 53)

Culturally responsive teaching requires us to see each student as

an individual with a unique experience that created individual

sets of skills and strengths that the student has deemed as

important to her/his identity based on her/his unique experience

(Gay, 2000). My role as an educator is to use these strengths to

develop within each one a conscious self-actualization as a

student striving to attain their individual level of success.

My purpose, as an educator, is to support their positive

development. Mehan, Villanueva, L., and Lintz (1996), cited by

Ruiz and Moll (2002), noted that,

A central factor in the success of the Latino (and

African American) low-income students was the

development of an “academic identity.” This identity

featured the formation of academically oriented

associations among students while dealing with


potentially incompatible social ideologies and

relationships. (p. 368)

The students have a critical perspective of their educational

institution based on the brief off-topic conversations that we

have had. They have mentioned to me that they do not really know

if they will go to college or whether they will finish school.

Whether the students are Black or Latino/a, there have been

certain ideas that have become so ingrained in some of the

students ideology that it has been difficult at times to develop

a counter-narrative with them where they see their potential.

Based on my experience coming from a similar background to them,

I connect it closely to the four forms of resistance (Solorzano &

Bernal, 2001):

To expand on this narrow range of so-called resistant

behavior, we draw from a study of Chicana school

resistance that provides a framework to better

understand different types of Chicana and Chicano

school resistance (Delgado Bernal, 1997). The study

provides a distinction between the following four

different types of student oppositional behavior: (a)


reactionary behavior, (b) self-defeating resistance,

(c) conformist resistance, and (d) transformational

resistance. These different types of oppositional

behavior are depicted in Figure 1 and are based on an

adaptation of Henry Giroux’s (1983a, 1983b) notion that

resistance has the following two intersecting

dimensions: (a) Students must have a critique of social

oppression, and (b) students must be motivated by an

interest in justice. The distinction between the four

behaviors is not static or rigid, and neither are these

behaviors inclusive of all types of oppositional

behavior. In addition, the quadrants should not be seen

as discrete and static entities; but rather, within

each quadrant is a range of a student’s critique of

social oppression and motivation for social justice. We

also acknowledge that the manifestations of these four

categories may be different among females and males.

(pp. 316-7)

In this article, Solórzano and Bernal (2001) work to identify how

Chicana and Chicano students resist social oppression within the


educational setting through four types of resistance that are

meant to be seen as being fluid behaviors that are motivated by

an interest in social justice. Their critique of social

oppression ranges within each behavior, but ultimately the intent

is to have students become transformational agents no matter

their race, class, gender, and sexuality. The expression of

transformational resistance is an internal and external

expression that reflects non-conformity to institutional or

cultural norms and expressions. As Solorzano and Bernal (2001)

note:

Internal resistance. The behavior of internal

transformational resistance appears to conform to

institutional or cultural norms and expectations,

however individuals are consciously engaged in a

critique of oppression. Students maintain both criteria

of transformational resistance, yet their behavior is

subtle or even silent and might go unnamed as

transformational resistance. (p. 324)

External resistance. Individuals who engage in external

transformational resistance also hold both criteria of


transformational resistance. In addition, external

transformational resistance involves a more conspicuous

and overt type of behavior and the behavior does not

conform to institutional or cultural norms and

expectations. (p. 325)

I have seen students express the spectrum of resistant behaviors

within the SAT prep program though I have experienced their

genuine connection to me and my experience in the brief time that

we have spent in the program. This does not mean that they have

not been resistant to material that we have covered in the SAT

prep program. As Mehan, Villanueva, L., and Lintz (1996), cited

by Ruiz and Moll (2002), note, “Just as important, both students

and teachers developed a ‘critical consciousness’ about race,

class, and school politics and about resistance to the innovation

as manifested either in or out of school” (pp. 368-69). Although

my connection with students has come with relative ease, my

fellow mentors have had “issues” working with the students. Part

of the learning process for students and mentors is becoming

aware of what the work of getting ready for the SAT entails and

trying to develop working relationships between students and


mentors. The mentors come from a very prestigious university that

many students wish to attend due to its recognition and close

proximity. My fellow mentors, relatively closer in age to the

students than I am, come from backgrounds that are much different

than most of the students; yet, as I have noted previously, they

work to make sure that the students get the most out of the

lesson. For some students, it is a welcomed form of instruction

working collaboratively; for others, they become easily

disengaged with the mentors and the lesson. All students who have

shown up seek to learn. However, the engagement into the lesson,

based on the subject matter covered, becomes a factor in the

students’ engagement since their confidence in the subject matter

might not be the best, thereby, creating resistant behavior from

the student and leaving mentors at a loss on how to reengage

students in the lesson.

Framing My Approach

As an educator my intent has been based on allowing them to

feel comfortable with their form of expression as long as we work

together to ensure that we learn. Working on the SAT in an

afterschool setting with students that have been tracked based on


their test scores has been one that has required inculcating in

them the idea that working together and practicing for the SAT

will help them get a better score on the SAT. The reality is that

compared to the other schools where I am working (Frederick

Douglass, W.E.B. Dubois, and Ida B. Wells), the cumulative SAT

scores of Angela Davis Academy are nearly 100 points lower than

the next school.1 From the first lessons that we have had, the

students have demonstrated (at least to me) a drive to achieve

their best on this examination.

I established with my groups a set of expectations and

agreements to reciprocate our mutual agreement although some of

my students were not present for these initial lessons. It will

have to be my purpose to establish rapport with the students who,

at this point, have shown me the upmost mutual respect because I

have approached the students in a manner that allows them to feel

comfortable with their form of interactions. As Nieto (1999)

describes in her book, Light in their Eyes:

1 Observation based on their SAT diagnostic 3 scores as a school. This information will be one of my quantitative observations that I will note on inmy final analysis regarding seeing improvement with the students as a whole and as individuals.


1. Students’ identification with, and maintenance

of, their native culture and language can have a

positive influence on learning.

2. The role of the teacher as cultural accommodator

and mediator is fundamental; we cannot distinguish from

the school setting. (p. 70-71)

My role as an educator is to create an academic environment

that is open for them to learn using their native cultural

practices and use of language. It is my work to lower the

students’ “affective filter” by creating a safe academic space

where students feel more comfortable, and confident, interacting

with each other and the work provided. Delpit (2002) observes,

“The less stress and the more fun connected to the process, the

more easily it (language acquisition) is accomplished” (p. 40). A

safe academic space is very important for me to create since the

intense academic language found in the SAT for most students has

been difficult for them to decipher since there is a gap between

the knowledge required for the exam versus the knowledge the

students have received. In order to bridge the gap, particularly

regarding language, between the one that has been learned


academically versus the one they have learned culturally, here

have been instances of intentional code switching that I have

incorporated into the lesson. As Martinez (2010) notes in his

article regarding language, “[Code Switching] is not caused by

insufficient competence in one of the two languages, but rather

reflects, at least, the same level of grammatical competence as

that reflected in the speech of monolinguals” (p. 126). I have

presented the idea to the students that their ability to decipher

words by using their knowledge of particular Spanish words is

helpful in their ability to contextualize some of the words on

the SAT. By presenting them the power of their home language, I

have already begun the work of establishing identity and

reaffirming community ties with the students by using their

language as a tool rather than an a impediment to their learning.

Delpit (2002) notes that, “The more determined we are to rid the

school of children’s home language, the more determined they are

to preserve it” (p. 47). In the academic space I chose to counter

the notion that their language is a crutch which Martinez (2010)

notes presents the idea that there are “gaps in vocabulary, lack

of education, improper control of language, and/or lack of


proficiency” (p.126). This is why it is important for me to use

their language as a means of connection because it helps

establish identity and reaffirms community ties.

As an educator, I have to be cognizant of how my approach

with the students can have implications to their learning. Geneva

Gay (2000), cited by Tyrone Howard (2010), notes: “The

fundamental aim of culturally responsive pedagogy is to empower

ethnically diverse students through academic success, cultural

affiliation, and personal efficacy” (p. 111). From my educational

experience the teachers that made the most impact in my

development were those who held me accountable to attain my best

and who presented to me the drive to ensure that I succeed.

Gloria Ladson-Billings (1994) explains there is a fundamental

difference between teachers who are sympathetic versus those who

are empathetic. Teachers who are empathetic:

1. Hold students accountable despite difficult

circumstances

2. See promise and possibilities in students

3. See assets in students

4. Become active problem solvers


5. Develop critical and complex teaching practices to

engage students

6. Listen and learn from students’ experiences to

inform teaching

7. View learning as a reciprocal process between

teacher and student (pp. 48-9)

Although I am cognizant of the conditions that may affect

the students’ learning, as a social justice educator, have to

actively work to ensure that the students are provided the

opportunities to succeed by actively working to create “the high

challenge, high support” classrooms that are present in the

programs that take place during school. According to Gibbons

(2009):

From the perspective of the learner, a high challenge

classroom with low levels of support creates

frustration and anxiety and may lead to learners giving

up and ultimately opting out of school. Low challenge

and low support is likely to lead to boredom, with

similar resistance to school. Low challenge and high

support allows learners to work in their “comfort


zone,” but not a lot of learning will take place, and

neither will learners develop autonomy and independence

in their learning… the combination of high challenge

and high support allows learners to be stretched to

reach their potential and to successfully engage with

new learning. (pp. 15-16)

The idea is to have students strive to achieve their best

academically on the SAT. Yet, currently there are fluctuations of

the academic rigor presented to the students based on the lessons

we have done. The engagement of students within the lesson has

been present; yet the question that has continuously come about

is whether the students are learning or simply doing. I must work

to hold them accountable while at the same time I must work to

make the material culturally relevant.

As an educator, I have to work to continuously inform my

practice with paying attention to their experiences. Luis Moll’s

(1998) work on understanding students’ funds of knowledge is the

idea that students have social and cultural resources present in

their lived experiences that help enable their academic

development. My role as an educator is to understand these


resources to inform my pedagogy through the interactions and

surveys that I do with students. It is essential that I do as

much as I can to not only understand but also do something to

have students see the academic potential within them. According

to Luis Moll (1998):

They (teachers) are learning, as ethnographers would,

directly from interviews and other first-hand

experiences. Our claim is that these qualitative

methods of study can become the “tools” necessary for

the teachers’ development of the theoretical knowledge

and language that, in turn, help them formulate a

pedagogy specific to their situations and that builds

strategically on the social relations and cultural

resources of their school’s community. (p. 6)

This requires me to acknowledge that not all students have

the same level of academic development, but that I have to work

to provide the students the space and support to help in their

development. Vygotsky (1978) recognized this as The Zone of

Proximal Development:


It is the distance between the actual development as

determined by independent problem solving and the level

of potential development as determined through problem

solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with

more capable peers (p. 86)

Each lesson I have tried to do my best to have them apply the

methods that we cover particularly when it comes to language and

reading sections of the SAT. Due to limits on time, the

independent problem solving time is often taken up by the

required explanation of methods they can employ for the

examination leaving some students still lost at the way to tackle

the SAT. Mercer (2000) calls for the use of the Intermental Zone

of Development: “Negotiation through an activity by teacher and

learner…The IDZ [Intermental Zone of Development] is a continuing

event of contextualized joint activity, whose quality is

dependent on the existing knowledge, capabilities and motivations

of both the learner and teacher” (p. 141). Therefore, I will

employ strategies for Mercer’s Intermental Zone of Development:


1. They used question-and-answer sequences not just to

test knowledge, but also guide the development of

understanding.

2. They are taught not just “subject content,” but also

procedures for solving problems and making sense of

experience.

3. They treat learning as a social, communicative

process (p.160)

“Interthinking” is Mercer’s idea that, “Language allows for

thinking together; a joint creation of knowledge and

understanding” (pp.170-72). By working with the students for them

to be able to co-create knowledge with each other, I plan not

only develop content knowledge but also to be able to develop a

communal academic identity within the learning process. As Wenger

(1998) notes:

Communities of Practice are everywhere. They are our

constantly changing group associations where we learn

through social means. These communities of practice

informally act upon our semi-conscious dynamic

articulation of meaning and identity. Whether we are at


the core or the periphery, we learn through our

experience within a given community. (p. 5)

The Students of Angela Davis Academy have had a number of

different academic and personal experiences that have developed

within them a unique identity. Their educational experience has

been one that appears to me to have made most of them see

themselves as not being “prepared” or “fit” to be within a

collegiate, academic setting. There have been those students who

have a clear vision of their near future while others remain

unsure of what is next for them. Therefore, I will strive to

create what Rogoff (1994) recognized as a “community of learners”

where, “Children and adults collaborate in learning endeavors,

with adults responsible for guiding the process and children

learning to participate in the management of their own learning”

(p. 71). As part of this joint academic venture:

1. Adults serve as leaders and facilitators for

students and each other, not as authority figures

2. Emphasis is on the process of learning (rather than

finished products).


3. Inherent interest and motivation is fostered along

with learning responsibility for one’s choices

4. Evaluation of student progress occurs through

working with the child and observing.

5. Cooperative learning occurs through the whole

program with children working in collaboration with

other children and adults. (p. 70)

As an educator my emphasis is to create a transformative

academic space where students can feel confident that they will

not be judged for being “wrong.” Rather, they will work together

to understand the process of getting the right responses. In an

article by Blumenfeld, Puro, and Mergendoller (1992), they

recognize that, “The process of learning and taking risks to

acquire knowledge in the content base is the most important task

rather than concentrating on achievement after intervention” (pp.

209-211). Therefore, my emphasis is not based solely on seeing

their quantitative improvement on the examination; rather, my

emphasis revolves around the development of their academic,

college-going identity. Graham (1990) writes about how teachers’

reactions ascribe within the students a level ability or effort,


and this affects students’ perceived, self-ascribed notions of

expectations and achievement:

Attributional inferences about students lead to

particular teacher reactions toward the pupil, such as

pity or anger, praise or blame, or help or neglect…The

inferred attribution of the teacher then influences

self-perceptions of ability or effort…Particular self-

ascriptions lead to specific consequences related to

expectancy and achievement. (p.18)

I have to be cognizant of how I interact with students since

my reactions and perceptions can become misconstrued by students.

I have to make sure that within groups I differentiate

instruction to help all students learn, not only to selectively

scaffold instruction for a select group of students. Within

groups there are students who have more knowledge in certain

content areas than others, and this is why I have to work to

incorporate their individual strengths into the lessons. The

numbers on the exam do not necessarily demonstrate what Gobbo and

Chi (1986) noted as being expert and novice students. I have seen


certain students show their expertise in areas that in the

examination they demonstrated a “low score.”

As I have observed, the reality is that students self-

ascribed notion of low ability and low expectation, therefore,

leads to low achievement. Solorzano and Bernal (2001) in their

analysis of transformative resistance explain that it is not that

the students cannot achieve, nor is it that they do not care,

rather they are responding to the conditions all around them

through behavior that is reflective of their experience. Students

are conscious of what is transpiring, but the language to speak

truth to power, and the tools to deconstruct negative perceptions

that become integral to their academic development are missing.

The students’ resistant behavior is very much a reflection of the

frustration resulting from feeling as though they are questioning

their very identity: Their cultural identity is at odds with the

institutional identity causing the double consciousness that

W.E.B. Dubois once wrote about. As Freire (1987) once wrote:

The process of learning, through which historically we

have discovered that teaching is a task not only

inherent to the learning process but also characterized


by it, can set off in the learner an ever-increasing

creative curiosity …epistemological curiosity… an

intimate critical connection that must be submitted to

methodical and rigorous analysis. (p. 48)

My duty as an educator is to engage students in the pursuit

of attaining knowledge that will serve for them to persevere

beyond the lowered expectations. The program provides the

students the tools to be able to do well in an inherently

counter-cultural examination. By engaging the students in the

collective work of attaining not only individual but also

collective success, I intend to help the students develop not

only an individual but also a group identity that is centered on

being college-going students. With their help, we will develop an

afterschool academic space that is not only centered their

academic development but also their personal development.

IIe. Action Plan

I will institute my action plan at the Angela Davis

Academy’s Crossover SAT prep program that runs every Tuesday and

Thursday from 4-6pm. Although I only work with four groups of

three to five students each time (due to low attendance,


sometimes it is one-on-one with a student who is not even part of

my groups), the planned changes are geared to the whole program

since the emphasis of my study has group as well as individual

group ramifications.

My action plan will begin with a pre-survey on February 26,

2013, that will be given to all the students present for the

meeting. I will provide pre-surveys throughout the two-week

cycle, and from these surveys, I will not only be able to qualify

their responses but also quantify the number of participants in

the study. The pre-surveys will have students rate their view of

the Crossover SAT prep program; their school and if they feel it

prepares them for college; and the plausibility of their

university and career aspirations. These surveys will be taken

once again to gauge whether the students’ perspective of the

program, their school, and the aspirations have improved,

remained the same, or decayed during the term of the program.

In addition, I plan to create a board with the Crossover

schedule with the lesson subjects (College, Writing, Reading,

Math) being covered in the program for the two weeks. This board

will serve to remind students of the program visually to go along


with the auditory reminders that are given during their daily

Advisory class, a class which I plan to habitually go to as a

physical reminder of their need to attend Crossover SAT prep.

Although their teachers, according to students that I have asked,

already provide them with schedules, I plan to create

individualized schedules for the students to remind them when

they are to attend the lessons. With these schedules will be a

personal letter providing the students, and their family a reason

why Crossover SAT prep is important to the success of their

child/family member and my personal contact information if they

want to contact me regarding their child/family member. From

prior experience as a program coordinator in an afterschool

program, I believe these forms of accountability and outreach

serve to provide a sense of love and dedication to the student

and their community. I intend to reach out to them from a deep-

seated love in working collaboratively to bring them into the

space. The board will eventually serve as not only a schedule but

a space for them to share their questions, comments, concerns,

issues with Crossover SAT prep reminder of their hard work and

dedication.


The intent is have more students enter the space and have

those students work to develop the space into something they can

call their own: creating a community of learners dedicated to a

common cause is grounded on building relationships with each

other as much as with us (Rogoff, 1994). Using the curriculum I

have, I will make the necessary adjustments to ensure that my

students are not only engaged but actively inquiring during the

lesson; I will apply more checks for understanding and wait time

to ensure that the students grasp the major concepts of the

lesson. Before each break, I will have them note three things

that they learned or clarified; two questions they have of the

lesson; and anything they need me to review. These exit slips

will serve to check for understanding and analysis if the

students meet the lesson objective. I recognize that for some of

the students this might have to be a verbal checking for

understanding due to their IEP, but I plan for them to record

their responses to analyze if they understood the lesson

objective. Checks for understanding done individually and

collectively intend to have them feel comfortable providing me


feedback and clarifications that we collectively work on

understanding.

Ultimately, I want to organize a trip to bring the ideals of

Crossover SAT prep program to a college campus. From the

discussion, I have had with many students at this site the belief

that they will go to college is grounded more in theory than

reality. They see college as an unfamiliar institution with

unfamiliar people. For nearly half of the students in my groups,

their dreams of attending a four-year institution are barely

developing and that is why the last part of my project involves

organizing a trip to nearby college. UC Raza will be holding an

inclusive youth empowerment conference grounded on providing

students the tools and resources to make their college

aspirations a more feasible reality. I intend to demonstrate to

students that there are people of color within our top

universities that strive not only to succeed but also to give

back to their community. I intend to demonstrate there are plenty

of successful individuals who rise from neighborhoods that are

socioeconomically disadvantaged to attain a college degree, and


there are spaces for people of color at universities to maintain

a sense of familia within academic institutions.

The plan of action for helping establish this transformative

afterschool space is one that will require several shifts in the

structure and the implementation of the Crossover SAT preparation

program. These shifts, with authorization from my supervisors,

will include:

Structure

o Creating a Crossover board with a schedule and lesson

themes covered in the program for the two weeks.

o Providing students schedules of when they are to appear

for Crossover SAT prep.

Outreach

o An announcement from us (the mentors) to the students

to remind them of the program and creating a personal

letter to give to the parents regarding the Crossover

SAT prep program.

o Being present on Tuesday and Thursday to be a physical

reminder of the Crossover SAT Prep program and develop

rapport with students that are currently in the program

as well as those not attending by having informal

interviews.


o Organizing a trip to a nearby university or taking them

to youth empowerment conference to show them how

college is a possibility.

Group Support

o Pre-Survey regarding their view of Crossover; their

school and if they feel it prepares them for college;

and their university and career aspirations. The survey

given at the end of the program is to measure how their

perceptions have changed in the course of the program.

o Assessing prior knowledge on a topic before we enter

the lesson using blended learning to integrate students

with IEP’s

o Having them write down or verbalize three things that

they learned, 2 questions that might have, and a

section from the lesson they still might need

clarification on exit slips.

The following diagram is intended to demonstrate my action steps

for the following weeks as well as the objectives for each lesson

as given by Crossover SAT prep:

Week Date Lesson Themes & Topics Covered

Action Steps

1-2 February 25-March 8

Hour 1:Passage Based Reading IStudents will learn and apply theStrategies for the Three Methods of Answering PBR

-Conduct a Pre- Survey with all participants-Create a schedule board-Give students


Questions (Literal Comprehension, Vocabulary inContext, Extended Reasoning)by using the SAT prep book to review and practice questions.

Students will complete a categorizing question types worksheet to identify the different types of PBR Questions as well as the 3-2-1 exit slip to check for understanding.

schedule with personalized letter.-Visit school every Tuesday and Thursday to announce program; conductinformal (conversational)interviews regarding their community, school, program,themselves.-Integrate Unityclap and informal assessments at the beginning oflesson to accessprior knowledge.-Use 3-2-1 exit slips to check for understanding for each learning segment.

Hour 2Algebra Part IStudents will apply their knowledge of Functions, Simplifying Algebraic Expressions & Absolute Values using an SAT prep worksheet and their SAT prepbook to review and practiceproblems; will complete a 3-

DATA COLLECTION Pre Survey Informal

Interviews Informal

Assessments 3-2-1 Exit

Slips Field Notes

and


2-1- exit slip to check for understanding.

Reflective Journal

3-4 March 11-March 22

Hour 1Algebra Part IIIStudent will engage the lesson by using a SAT prep app to answer random questions on proportions, variables on Number Lines, and Algebraic Word Problems.

Students will practice theirknowledge of Proportions, Variables on Number Lines, Algebraic Word Problems using the SAT prep book and a worksheet; will check for understanding using a 3-2-1 exit slip.

Students will be given a Spring Break SAT practice packet to continue applying the knowledge of what has been covered up to this point.

ACTION STEPS-Update scheduleboard with new subject theme; post scholarshipopportunities- Visit on Tuesday and Thursday; conduct informal(conversational)interviews regarding grades, colleges, and career aspirations.-Use 3-2-1 exit slips to check for understanding for each learning segment.-Provide students a practice packet to do during Spring Break

Hour 2Majors & CareersFunding CollegeStudents will complete a Holland’s Personality Test, pair-share, and use their coding to look over majors they want to or might want

DATA COLLECTION Holland’s

PersonalityTest

Informal Interviews

Informal Assessments


to study using a college major sheet.

Students will search for scholarships using differentscholarship search engines, share one scholarship they found for themselves, and discuss how to apply for thescholarship.

3-2-1 Exit Slip

Spring Break SAT practice

Field Notesand Reflective Journal

5 March 25-March 29

SPRING BREAK

6-7 April 1-April 12

Hour 1Multiple Choice Writing IIStudents will engage the lesson using an SAT prep appto answer random questions on Wordiness, Identifying Sentence Errors, and Parallelism.

Students will learn and apply their knowledge of Wordiness, Identifying Sentence Errors, and Parallelism using the SAT prep book; will check for understanding using 3-2-1 exit slip.

ACTION STEPS-Update scheduleboard with new subject theme; post scholarshipopportunities- Visit on Tuesday and Thursday; conduct informal(conversational)interviews regarding who goes to college,traits of a college-going student.-Use 3-2-1 exit slips to check for understanding for each learning segment.

Hour 2Passage Based Reading IIStudents will review

DATA COLLECTION Informal

Interviews


Categorizing Question Types,Extended metaphors, and the 5 Types of PBR Questions using their diagnostic exam,whiteboards, and their student handbooks to practice how to rationalize through their responses; will check for understandingusing the 3-2-1 exit slip.


3-2-1 Exit Slips


8-9 April 15-April 26

Hour 1Geometry Part IStudents will review and apply their knowledge of Line Relationships, Pythagoras Theorem, Circles,Triangles, and Rectangles using their SAT prep book and a worksheet; will check for understanding using the 3-2-1 exit slip.

ACTION STEPS-Conduct an Ending Survey with all participants-Update scheduleboard with new subject theme; post scholarshipopportunities- Visit on Tuesday and Thursday; conduct informal(conversational)interviews regarding their view of themselves.-Use 3-2-1 exit slips to check for understanding for each learning segment.

Hour 2Data, Statistics, and Probability Part I

DATA COLLECTION Final

Survey


Students will review and apply their knowledge of Mean, Median, Mode, and Average Formula using their SAT prep book and a worksheet; will check for understanding using the 3-2-1 exit slip.

Informal Interviews


3-2-1 Exit Slips


IIf. Data Collection

My field notes and reflective journal will serve to write

down observations, questions, ideas, and quotes of students’

thoughts of the lessons. My field notes will be taken during the

lesson and right after the lesson in order to jot down the most

striking observations and inferences made during and after the

lesson. My reflective journal will serve as a means of working

through my thought process during and after the lesson and a

means of developing necessary changes or modifications to the

lessons to be able to better engage the students in the learning

process. From my experience engagement does not necessarily

transfer into understanding, so I must be very cognizant that I

maintain a critical eye to the work being done by the students,

and if they are working to respond to the question, rather than


waiting for a response. I will work to provide them the proper

scaffolding and differentiation necessary for them to be able to

respond to the work provided.

Alongside my field notes and reflective journal, I will have

my surveys, my 3-2-1 exit slips, interviews with fellow students,

mentors, and Mr. Nebula, as well as SAT diagnostic exam scores

(#3 and #4) to see whether student scores improved. While field

notes and reflective journals will serve to critique my first

hand thoughts and opinions of what I observe, the surveys and

interviews will serve to check my perceptions and will provide me

bountiful data regarding the fellow students, mentors, and Mr.

Nebula’s insights into the effectiveness of the changes to

afterschool academic space. The Exit slips will serve to track

the effectiveness of the lessons with the SAT diagnostic

examinations serving as a gauge of how effectively students are

applying their knowledge. These forms of qualitative and

quantitative data will serve to provide part of the picture of

how students grow into a community of learners that develop a

communal college-going identity; they will serve to provide

evidence of how effective the structural shift, outreaching, and


individual group support affected the creation, implementation,

and cultivation of this academic space. Due to the number of

variables present in my inquiry, I am cognizant that there might

be a number of variables that might adversely affect the data in

my inquiry. My attempt is provide multiple data entries to be

able to better substantiate a focal point to continue refining

this SAT prep afterschool program in order to be as effective as

it could possibly be.

IIg. Subjects of Focus

Since I have four groups which I work with at Angela Davis

Academy, will chose one student from each group who has

demonstrated, at least to this point, different perceptions of

the possibility of attending college, and who, although she/he

wants to go to college, her/his path towards college appears

either existent, developing, or non-existent.

Group 1: Andres2 is a highly engaged student who works hard

to understand the material though he acknowledges that English is

not his preferred language. He works hard to attain as much

knowledge as possible during the lesson though there are times

2 The names of the students, the schools and the program are all pseudonyms.


where I have felt that he wants to ask me something but does not

know how to address the question. He likes to work

collaboratively rather than individually because he feels he

learns more when he can “talk it out.” He wants to go to college

but has told me that he is unsure if he will be able to go since

he is the oldest, and his parents want him to stay close to help

out the family by working and attending school nearby.

Group 2: Xochitl is another highly motivated student that

sees herself attending college even though her grades are not

good. During the session, she is usually quiet but pays close

attention. She has demonstrated drive and commitment that

counters the image presented by her GPA. She has told me that she

wants to learn because, “College is the only way I know I will be

able to get what I want.” Her goals and objectives are clear

though I have yet to understand what the reason for her drive is.

Group 3: This has been the group that I have had a

difficulty bringing to the program, and as a result, I have been

unable to get to know them. Each student has only attended one

lesson on non-corresponding days, but though outreaching to them

and working to have them come to the lessons, I intend to


understand who they are and choose one of them to look at her/his

development.

Group 4: Katrina does not see herself going to college

because she believes she is “too dumb” to go. During the lesson

she has had difficulty engaging in the lesson because she feels,

“she doesn’t get it.” She does attend the lessons and tries her

best to understand because she wants to go to a college to do

forensic anthropology. Her primary language, much like Andres, is

Spanish, and she is very family oriented. She strives to succeed

because her older brothers and sister have not been able to

finish high school. For her, it appears that just finishing high

school is important, but I see in her a dream of going to college

and making her family proud.

In all the students there is a potential to attain success.

Within each one of them there are strengths that are often

difficult to measure and to decipher behind the layers of social

and cultural nuances. Within each student, there is possibility

to go against preconceived notions of expectation and

achievement. Within each student there is potential: Potential

that, if constantly commoditized and devalued to fit a particular


ideological framework, negates the students of their ability to

develop beyond the myopia that they have come to believe. My role

as an educator is to provide that critical support to counter

that limited framework and to create within the students the

desire to go to college as a means of having them think more of

the school to academia pipeline rather than the school to prison

pipeline. As an educator, I have these major goals: working to

create within students, and with each other, a partnership of

success and joint work to succeed for their individual and

collective goals, and developing an individual and group identity

grounded on being college-oriented, college-ready, college-going

students.

This project calls for me to have, as Duncan-Andrade (2010)

would call, “Critical Hope.” I have to work “to build up the

strength in their neck”: work with them to see the capacity to go

beyond the limitations placed upon them. They have the agency to

counter the norms and against the conditions that intend to limit

their ability to persevere beyond limited expectations. I have to

be critical and cognizant of the different factors that might


affect the course of my inquiry, yet I have to work to keep

pushing to have students excel. There is no other way.

Segment III

IIIa. Review: Context, Questions and Action Plan

Overview

The focus of my inquiry began not far from Angela Davis

Academy at nearby Malcolm X Charter High School, where I worked

in an afterschool setting to create a transformative academic

space where students could work with their fellow classmates,

staff, teachers, and administrators to develop the ideal college-

going culture. A transformative academic space calls for us to

work with students to engage and empower them in process of

creating and cultivating the space based on their ideals


making a consorted effort in providing the necessary support for

them not only to identify but see themselves as being college-

ready. This community that is historically socioeconomically

disadvantaged is in a large, urban city in the west coast of the

United States with a predominantly first generation Latina/o

population. I tried to work with all members of the community,

within and outside of the school space, to develop a plan of

action to further develop the afterschool space to align with the

school’s ideal of developing a college-going community. Yet, the

lack of effective communication between all parties at the campus

worked against the intent, and instead of working to create a

more receptive space, the administration made it a more

restrictive space that closed off ideas that were not from the

top-down. Although my focus remained to prepare students to go to

college, my inquiry focus changed to provide students the tools

and resources to help them enter the universities that they have

worked hard to enter even with the omnipresent oppressive

conditions that they feel inhibit their ability to push beyond

the lowered expectations. If we seek to create a transformative

academic space, we must work with all parties to create and


cultivate a space that supports students academically,

emotionally and culturally to achieve their best.

The love for the community and the students of Malcolm X

Charter High School pushed me to search for a position where I

could gain the knowledge, tools, and resources that could help me

be able to provide the students of Malcolm X more concrete

academic support as they enter the next phase of their high

school experience. I chose to work as an SAT tutor in order to

get a better grasp of what an effective SAT preparation program

looks like and how to implement this type of program in an

afterschool setting. I chose to concentrate my focus in Angela

Davis Academy because this was the only site where I would work

in an afterschool space providing SAT preparation at a school and

community very much like the one at Malcolm X Charter High

School. The SAT preparation provider, Crossover, is in the

business of providing its services during the regular day, so

this venture into the afterschool space is as new as the entry

into this school site. Yet, from work at the other established

campuses, Crossover SAT prep has a reputation of demonstrating

lasting results from its high challenge, high support model


(Gibbons, 2009). Its curriculum provides students the tools and

resources to prepare them not only for the SAT but also the

college-going process. The curriculum called for us to provide

students the adequate instruction for them to achieve in the

examination. However, as I went through the lessons I discovered

that the intent was not met through the highly structured

curriculum. The cultural relevance of the SAT to the students’

dreams and aspirations became associated with their previous

experiences with examinations. The achievement gap present at the

school site reflected the existence a fundamental disconnect of

the students from the academic work provided due to the

fundamental inequality of their educational experience (Berlak,

2009).

As a result of what I observed in Angela Davis Academy with

Crossover, my questions returned back to those that I asked at

Malcolm X Charter High School:

1) What tools and resources can be brought in to support this

transformative afterschool academic space to help develop a

college-going identity?


2) What can we do collectively (Crossover, Angela Davis

Academy, Mr. Nebula) to create and cultivate the high

expectation, high support school model that can preserve the

students’ feeling of being supported academically,

emotionally, and culturally to achieve their best?

3) How can students help in establishing, implementing, and

cultivating this academic space?

The first question is my primary inquiry question. However,

in order to respond to the needs of the students I required the

investigation and implementation of an inquiry that intends to

address issues that I have observed transpiring at an

institutional, school, and student level. Therefore, in order for

me to develop my approach to systemic issues, I must be willing

to address issues at each level for me to truly address the

pervasive problem of students being culturally disconnected from

the university and this examination. In a school that has a high

challenge, low support model, this examination has some students

feeling frustrated, impotent, due to a gap in the expectation

versus their internalized potential.


By working to create a community that strives towards a

collective goal of attaining success to counter preconceived

notions of academic ineptitude and lowered expectations, my

intent is develop within students the expectation that they can

be college-going students. As an educator from a community very

much like the students, my role calls for me to provide students

the critical support to counter limited expectations and develop

within the individual and group identity an internalization of

the ideal of being college-oriented, college-ready, college-going

students.

Methodology

My 9-week action plan described in Segment II (which

includes a one-week Spring Break mid-way) consists of providing

students the tools and resources for them to not only develop a

better understanding of the examination but also work

collectively to develop the SAT preparation as an opportunity for

students to develop a college-going identity. The intent is to

make this space into something that the students feel they can

enter and feel supported academically, emotionally, and

culturally to achieve their best. At the same time, another goal


is giving students the support to make this academic space

something they can call their own by empowering them to see

themselves as the creators of their own possibilities.

I intend to give a general overview of the different groups

and the program’s progress as they relate to the students’

development, not only in their development of a college-going

identity but also in their ability to develop confidence to

taking the SAT. As mentioned in Segment II, Andres, Xochitl, and

Katrina are the students of focus with an added student from

Group 2, Huracan. Group 3, as I mentioned in Segment II, has been

the group that has proven difficult to bring to SAT preparation

lessons, so my analysis of that group is holistic rather than on

one student. All these students, and groups, represent varying

levels of academic ability and interests that have students

attending the lessons due to varying expectations of themselves

and the examination. Although in their initial SAT diagnostic

score group, students could be a part of any group and could come

to any group session as long as they complete at least one group

session every two weeks.


Group 1: Andres3 is a highly engaged student who works hard

to understand the material though he acknowledges that English is

not his preferred language. He works hard to attain as much

knowledge as possible during the lessons though there are times

where I have felt that he wants to ask me something but does not

know how to address the question. He likes to work

collaboratively rather than individually because he feels he

learns more when he can “talk it out.” He wants to go to college

but has told me that he is unsure if he will be able to go since

he is the oldest, and his parents want him to stay close to help

out the family by working and attending school nearby.

Group 2: Xochitl is another highly motivated student that

sees herself attending college even though her grades are not

good. During the session, she is usually quiet but pays close

attention. She has demonstrated drive and commitment that

counters the image presented by her GPA. She has told me that she

wants to learn because, “College is the only way I know I will be

able to get what I want.” Her goals and objectives are clear,

driven by a desire to be a strong influence to her younger

3 The names of the students, the schools and the program are all pseudonyms.


siblings. She works to support her family and has to balance a

heavy course-load with her already busy life at home.

Huracan is a very intense, high-energy student that can be a

source of connection or disruption based on how engaged he is

with material being covered. This student is usually in other

groups rather than his own but has come to sessions consistently

based on his availability since he lives very far from the school

and has to travel on train to get home. He sees his academic

abilities as a student. As “a very social person,” he rarely

acknowledges that many students trust and respect him because of

his fearless attitude and willingness to speak the truth to what

he feels and sees. He knows he is going to college on some days,

but then some days he says, “College ain’t for me.”

Group 3: Due to a lack of consistent attendance to their

group session, I will not use any student from this group but

will mention members of the group when necessary in regards to

the knowledge they shared with me through their incorporation

into other groups. Their fluidity demonstrated to me the power of

socialization and sociocultural connections that students make

outside of perceived similarity based on scores. All groups are


based on their initial SAT diagnostic scores that have changed,

for some dramatically, and have resulted in groups being mixed in

regards to personality and academic ability.

Group 4: Katrina does not see herself going to college

because she believes she is “too dumb” to go. During the lesson

she has had difficulty engaging in the lesson because she feels,

“she doesn’t get it.” She does attend the lessons and tries her

best to understand because she wants to go to a college to do

forensic anthropology. Her primary language, much like Andres, is

Spanish and she is very family oriented. She strives to succeed

because her older brothers and sister have not been able to

finish high school. For her, it appears that just finishing high

school is important, but I see in her a dream of going to college

and making her family proud.

The data collection for this inquiry consisted of

quantitative and qualitative data and occurred between February

and April of 2013. Two surveys were planned to be given

throughout the action plan. They were planned for the beginning

and the end of the program to see the students changing

development from the beginning to the end of the program relating


to whom they saw as the supports to their academic development

and ability to not only go but be ready to attend a university.

Originally, I had intended to provide them afterschool before

breaking off into groups, but the school provided me access to

conduct the surveys in class, during school. I did the initial

survey twice in order to ensure that the responses provided were

legitimated claims and to ensure that they were not one-time

opinions.

As part of my inquiry, as I explained in Segment II, I took

notes about the students and their perspectives throughout the

process via informal interviews, field notes, and a reflective

journal that served to write down observations, questions, ideas,

and direct quotes of students’ thoughts of the lessons. From my

experience, engagement does not necessarily transfer into

understanding, so I must be very cognizant that I maintain a

critical eye to the work being done by the students and seeing if

they are working to respond to the question rather than waiting

for a response. Having students be critical rather than me

reviewing ideas on their behalf is very important to me. Along

the process, I did informal interviews with students, mentors,


Mr. Nebula, my supervisor, Ms. Gompers, and the principal, Mr.

Queens. I also checked the improvement of the students’ scores

from Diagnostic #3 to Diagnostic #4 as a means of gauging of how

effectively students applied their knowledge from the SAT

preparation sessions.

The pre-survey happened on February 28, 2013; the second

survey happened on March 14th, 2013. After the two surveys, I

decided to modify the final survey in order to understand in-

depth their perceptions of their ability to go to college and

what they believe is necessary currently and in the future to be

able to go to college. This final survey was on the final session

date of April 25, 2013. The students that were able to attend the

youth empowerment conference on April 27, 2013 received a survey

as well to inquire on whether their confidence of being able to

go to college improved by their attendance to the conference.

These forms of qualitative and quantitative data served to

provide part of the picture of how students grow into a community

of learners that develop a communal college-going identity.

Different forms of data serve to provide evidence of how

effective the structural shift, outreaching, and individual group


support affected the creation, implementation, and cultivation of

this academic space. By doing a consorted effort to shift the

structure and implementation of the Crossover SAT preparation

program to make it into a transformative academic space, I

acknowledged the potential impact this program has through its

engagement and empowerment of students.

Shifts in Structure, Outreach, and Implementation

With the support of my supervisors and school staff, I was

able to implement every aspect of my action plan with varying

degrees of success. Changes in structure, outreach, and group

support worked for the most part to have all members of the space

feel a sense of ownership of the space. Most of the shifts made

were in order to support students in becoming part of the space

and ultimately having them recognize the possibility of

cultivating the academic space beyond the time of the program.

All changes were done in a timely manner in order to ensure that

the students were able to see a clear, consorted effort on the

part of the school and Crossover SAT prep to have them take part

in the program. I acted as the agent to push for the change

since, as I explained to the students, I recognized the


importance of working to achieve success; success not only for

ourselves but for the community as the school does based on its

purpose.

My action plan began February 26 with a couple of my

structural changes. I created a Crossover SAT prep board with a

schedule and lesson themes being covered until the end of the

program. Originally, I had thought of doing an interactive board,

but as I looked around there was limited space for that to occur

since most of our work was limited to our books. Therefore, the

individual students’ schedules and announcements, done by

teachers, and myself, became important in reminding students and

having students be prepared for the afternoon lessons. My

supervisor provided me all the copies I needed to give each

student: an individual schedule, my personalized letter, and the

pre-survey that were given out on February 28. February 28th was

also the day when I provided my introductory announcements to

students.

On February 28, students learned of the planned changes and

of my research. Angela Davis Academy had Advisory courses for

students to get prepared for college: 9th grade students prepare


for the CALLI exit examination, 10th graders for the ACT, and the

11th graders for the SAT. Each class had a lead teacher who

oriented students on activities that help prepare students not

only for the examinations but to be prepared academically by

teaching students different study methods that students can use

in different academic courses. As I entered the different

classes, students who had already grown to know me where

surprised to see me there early; students who did not know me

were indifferent or intrigued by my presence. As I began, I

presented myself formally: my name, the program I work for, the

university I attend, and my area of study. From my introduction,

I went on to explain my purpose for my visit, “I am here to get

all you to work with us to come to SAT prep.” It was at this

point when I asked a student to pass out the program schedule and

my personal letter. I explained what was being passed out,

students looked at me, others read what was given, while one or

two would raise their hand to ask me question of why I was giving

out this letter to them since it was directed at parents in

English and Spanish. It was at this point when I gave my personal

anecdote to taking the SAT. I explained to them that this program


was honestly one of a kind and served to benefit them since I

only had a month to prepare for my SAT4. I explained to them how

fortunate they were to have an opportunity to be able to really

practice an examination that we, as people of color from a

community that is historically socioeconomically disadvantaged,

to be able to compete at a nation-wide level.

From class to class to class, after my brief introduction of

the reasons why I had come, I provided them the pre-survey. As I

explained to them, “This survey is regarding your point of view

of Crossover SAT prep; your community; your school and if you

feel prepared for college. I want you to be honest with me. These

surveys are anonymous. 1 means that you strongly disagree and 5

means you strongly agree with the statement made.” Students in

two of the classes asked what Neutral meant and my response was,

“You sort of agree but sort of don’t agree or you are unsure of

how you feel about the statement.” Most students responded

quickly to most statements though I saw that some went back and

forth on a few responses particularly two of my students of

4 Looking back at it, I actually had less than a month from the moment my counselor gave me the SAT prep book that I worked on a few times before I took the examination.


focus, Andres and Katrina. I do not know if this indecision was

based over the meaning of the statements or an internal debate

over how they felt about the statements that were given in the

survey.

The review of the first pre-survey created some surprising

results that raised within me questions of whether the results

were accurate. The pre-survey results provided the following

results:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 130510152025303540

Pre-survey Responses

# of

Stu

dent

s

(Appendix)

1. Students are split on the idea that their community supports

their development as students (Question 1).


2. Yet, students are very confident that their families,

school, teachers support their development as students

(Questions 2, 3,4) but are unsure if fellow students support

their development as students (Question 5).

3. As for the SAT program and mentors, they see them as

supporting their development as students (Questions 6, 7)

4. Although students feel the school supports their development

as students, students’ confidence that the school helps

prepare them for college falls significantly (Question 8);

the statement that teachers prepare students to go to

college remains aligned with their response to most teachers

supporting the students’ development as students (Question

9).

5. The students’ perspective of the SAT program and its mentors

preparing them for college (Question 10, 11) are almost

aligned with their response to the aforementioned helping

their development as students.

6. The students’ confidence in having the skills and knowledge

to go to college and being prepared for college (Question

12, 13) reflect an uncertainty about their preparation to


attend college. Although the majority acknowledges the

strength in their knowledge and skill sets, this number

decreases in the following question about college

preparedness.

After the pre-survey, I felt that I needed to do the pre-

survey again because I wanted to make sure that the responses

were statistically significant. I felt that all the things I

brought in had overwhelmed the students. I felt I had not given

enough time for students to respond adequately to the pre-survey.

I had not taken into consideration students with IEP’s or the

number of English language learners who may have needed extra

time to understand the information or, as I learned later, may

have difficulty listening to instruction or seeing the

information provided. Therefore, I re-did the pre-survey to

ensure the accurateness of the information students provided.

With this began my action plan and the process of critical praxis

(Duncan-Andrade & Morrell, 2008): “Critical praxis involves

continued\action for social justice, but it also involves

continued reflection on the actions necessary to deal effectively

with the problems that have been identified” (p. 13). I


recognized that I had not taken into consideration some of the

students, and in order to give justice to their ideas, I felt

obligated to give the pre-survey once more.

Throughout this process it became vital for me to do

critical reflection and self assessment since according to Schon

(1983) via Tyron Howard (2010), “one’s ability to seek deeper

levels of self-knowledge and to acknowledge how one’s own

worldview shapes one’s perspective and beliefs about oneself as

well as one’s students, their families and their communities”

(p.114). Throughout this process I had to be cognizant of my

position as an educator, an activist, and recognize that their

perspective was the basis for my analysis not only my own ideas.

They were, as I, sources of communal knowledge to be the change

we wanted to see in the world around us.

IIIb. Findings: Praxis and Reflection

This inquiry revealed three major themes that within each

theme hold bodies of knowledge that are applicable in other

themes, thereby, creating an interconnected system of thoughts

and ideas that were reflective of an experience that was intended

in promoting an understanding of the interrelation of systemic


issues that ultimately affect the students’ notion of self within

the institutions of socialization (Rist, 1977). My inquiry

intended to affect students in a number of ways: in creating and

cultivating a high expectation, high support model; supporting

students’ development of a college-going identity; and engaging

and empowering students in the process of creating this

transformative academic space. Along the way I learned plenty

from the students, as I wish they learned from me, in working to

advocate what they want to see in the world.

1.Creating and Cultivating a High Expectation, High Support

Model:

As I mentioned before, the changes that were made to the

program began with shifts to the structure, outreach, and

implementation of the program to have students feel welcomed to

the afterschool academic space. These shifts intended to empower

students to take part in the learning process, but a noticeable

rise for students to the afterschool space did not mean that

students would be engaged in the content covered. Therefore, I

worked to make the lessons as engaging as possible for students

to engage in the learning process.


I modified each lesson theme in order to try to address the

possible needs of the students. These lessons (see Appendix)

maintained most parts of the material asked by the program to

cover during the lesson time. I made a consorted effort during

each lesson to have students do guided-practice, group practice,

and finally individual practice; systematically taking away

scaffolding from students at the same time developing a routine

to my lessons that were in line with the demands of the Crossover

SAT program. Each lesson presented its own set of difficulties

and presented its own set of learned lessons, and after lessons I

learned much from what students, fellow mentors, and other staff

noticed. My reflections for the lessons are as follows.

1a.Passage-Based Reading I & Algebra I Unit

This unit took place between February 26 and March 7, 2013.

These lessons taught students the methods to tackle the passage-

based reading section and practice algebra questions from the

examination. Each lesson was structured to be 50-55 minutes long

and provided step-by-step questions for students to be able to

engage the lesson. However, the lesson did not figure into two

things: students with IEP’s or those who were ELL’s as well as


scaffolds for students whose basic math (addition, subtraction,

multiplication, division) might not be good and require a

calculator. Each group provided their own set of issues that I

had to work to address which resulted in me having to speed

through the algebra lesson in three of the four groups resulting

in a mixed response from students regarding their understanding

of the lesson objectives.

Group 1 had three students for the day that included Andres

and Huracan. Mr. Nebula, before we entered the class, quickly

pulled me aside and told me that Ricky had an IEP: “He is hard of

hearing and has a audio-visual impairment therefore you will have

to have to have him write down notes, color-code them, and check

for understanding constantly. Just don’t make it obvious that you

are modifying the lesson just for him.” Remembering that best

teaching methods are applicable to all students, I modified the

lesson to have the students write down notes and work together to

inquire and develop responses together. Since the passage-based

reading lesson already required me to teach them how to

categorize the different question types, the lesson provided the

students an opportunity to learn and apply methods as we learned


them. This process took longer than expected though since I had

to model the note structure and had to provide added wait time

for the students to read and respond to questions. Yet, the added

time for students to grasp the content allowed the students to

better grasp the methods and apply them. Throughout the process,

I recognized that the students had difficulty remaining engaged

since the work in the beginning was more tedious note taking than

application of learned ideas. Therefore, for the rest of the

groups I worked to have them do more applied practice of learned

knowledge with an improved engagement of students in the learning

process. However, their ability to respond correctly to questions

provided in the passage-based reading sessions revealed a

relatively low correct answer percentage for all groups.

1b.Algebra III & Majors, Careers, and Funding College Unit

Due to the limited time we had in the previous unit to cover

algebra, I decided to cover algebraic concepts overall for all

groups I worked with to go along with the college lesson planned.

This unit proved a bit more difficult. We only had two days to

provide the unit to four groups of students, well over 60

students. I learned from the students, and confirmed by Mr.


Nebula, that the Crossover SAT preparation program and students

attendance was mandatory and part of the students’ graduation

requirement as well as their advisory grade. Therefore, it was an

imperative for students to attend. Yet, with limited days for

students to attend this unit, the group sessions became

essentially more styled like a workshop than the small group

sessions that fellow mentors, and students had become accustomed

to be a part of during our sessions.

The first session of the unit, March 14, saw each mentor

have full groups of four and five students attend the session.

Since all students in the group were taking either Algebra 2 or

Geometry, the students’ knowledge of the subject, I believed,

were strong yet the initial guided practice demonstrated the

difficulty that Katrina, as well as two other students, had in

recalling the information to use in answering two-step algebraic

functions. Yet, as we moved through the lesson and provided

systematic clarifications of the process to answering the

algebraic questions, students’ confidence to respond to questions

grew even as the relative difficulty of the questions grew.


The second session reflected a similar initial outcome and

the necessity to modify the lesson in order for students to be

able to apply their knowledge in a way that helped them answer

the question properly. The second group differed substantially

from my first group since my group was 13 students due to the

following: it was the last session for that unit, three of the

mentors were not present for the session due to Spring Break at

their college, and Crossover SAT prep was not able to get any

other mentors to cover their session. Therefore, this lesson

maintained essentially the same process of guided practice, group

practice, and individual practice, which worked for most students

although the large group dynamic allowed some students to become

distracted, like Huracan. Yet, I was able to use his excitement

as a tool to engage others in the lesson by having him and

another student, Leticia, help me in helping their fellow student

if they had difficulty with a question when we did small group

work. This made other students begin to check their responses

with other students who were not Leticia or Huracan that proved

effective once we did independent practice. Students felt

comfortable enough knowing they were not correct and learning


from getting an answer wrong since we worked to clarify why the

answer was wrong.

This dynamic change followed through into the college lesson

that I will provide a full analysis of in the following overall

theme of my inquiry. At the culmination of this unit, the

students went into Spring Break with much having transpired in

the way we saw ourselves, each other.

1c. Second Survey

On March 14, 2013, after one unit had already passed, and I

had already established a routine of going to their classes, I

returned to administer a second survey to students. After making

my announcement regarding the lessons for the week, I gave out

the second survey. The teachers were very helpful in helping

administer the second survey and collecting them as I went from

one class to another. The first time students had between 5-7

minutes to complete the survey, this time they had double the

time to complete it. I reminded them, “This survey is regarding

your point of view of Crossover SAT prep; your community; your

school and if you feel prepared for college. I want you to be

honest with me. These surveys are anonymous. 1 means that you


strongly disagree and 5 means you strongly agree with the

statement made. 3 means that you are split or unsure of how you

feel about the statement.”

The second survey generated nearly a replication of the

conclusions made in the first administration of the pre-survey

with some notable changes:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 130

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Second Survey Responses

# of Students

(Appendix)

1. The students remained split on the idea that their community

supports their development as students (Question 1).

2. Yet, students remained confident that their families,

school, teachers support their development as students


(Questions 2, 3,4) but are unsure if fellow students support

their development as students (Question 5). This time there

was a notable critical shift in the students’ perspective of

their families, school, teachers, and fellow students but

maintained the same overall perspective.

3. As for the SAT program and mentors, they see them as

supporting their development as students (Questions 6, 7)

though there were significant shifts of perspective that

were more critical of the program and its mentors. Mentors

had noted to me how students would be “easily distracted” or

would “not do anything” during lessons. Some students had

begun to change their mentor or demonstrated interest

towards another mentor.

4. The students’ responses to the statement that the school and

most teachers prepare them to go college (Question 8, 9)

aligned with their response with their perspective of the

school and most of the teachers supporting their development

as students from the previous survey.

5. The students’ perspective of the SAT program and its mentors

preparing them for college (Question 10, 11) are almost


aligned with their response to the aforementioned helping

their development as students. Students are dubious about

how much their mentors help them prepare for college since

they already have a feeling that they are “sort of being”

helped to develop as students by their mentors.

6. The students’ confidence in having the skills and knowledge

to go to college and being prepared for college (Question

12, 13) reflect an uncertainty about their preparation to

attend college. Although the majority acknowledges the

strength in their knowledge and skill sets, this number

decreases in the following question about college

preparedness. Yet, there is a significant shift of students

from the standpoint that they do not have the knowledge,

skills, or college preparedness to attend college.

The added time provided students with more time to analyze

and comment on the statements and provide a more accurate

reflection of the different supports of their academic

experience. The added time and increased confidence in

maintaining the anonymity of their responses resulted in students

giving a more accurate reflection of the uncertainty in academic


supports provided, including the SAT program and its mentors. The

students’ view of their ability to attend college grew

considerably away from thoughts of not being able to. Students

presented a positive shift away from deficit views of themselves.

Therefore, the imperative to provide students the tools,

resources, and methods to have a stronger confidence in being

able to attend college was important. Taking students to the

conference and making the college, careers, and funding unit a

constant in the program became a necessary shift to make students

feel more confident about their ability to attend college.

1d.Multiple Choice Writing II & Passage Based Reading II Unit

The results from the second survey pushed me to make a

consorted effort in making the academic space for all students

feel more open for them by putting an added emphasis to

incorporate mentors into the critical reflection and self-

assessment process. Since most were from white, privileged

backgrounds that as one mentor put it, “Even where I am from I

have never had to think of how to get to college since it is

expected of you since elementary.” Since the beginning of the

program, it was my routine to pick up three of the mentors and


converse about how to address issues within the lessons and make

the content more relevant to students, but this next step would

require me to begin asking critical questions to my fellow

mentors on how they addressed students and their needs.

This unit took place between April 2 and April 11, 2013, and

required me to cover passage-based reading and multiple-choice

writing questions for the SAT. During Spring Break, I looked over

the lessons and planned to use more inquiry-based teaching

methods to make students reflect upon their thought process as

they provided a response. Since the lesson required that we go

over essentially everything we did in the first lesson for

Passage-based Reading and multiple-choice Writing, I took it upon

myself to modify the lesson by having students do more in

relation to explaining the reason why they chose a particular

answer and work to rationalize through their responses. From the

first time I did the lessons, I learned that students had spent

most of the lesson following my instruction rather than reasoning

through their responses. Therefore, this lesson required more of

them doing independent practice and coming to a conclusion based

on evidence they found for each response. Students in one


session, Group 3, which included Xochilt, had students group

themselves according to expert-novice relationships that they

identified (Gobbo & Chi, 1986). They used interthinking (Mercer,

2000) after their independent practice to check if they had been

correct not in checking the response (which they could have done

so) but in the manner in which they came to their response. As a

result, the students were much better at being able to answer a

passage-based reading or a multiple-choice writing question,

answering with more accuracy and confidence.

The mentors relayed information back to me on how the

modification had fared with their groups and students engagement

in the learning process. The lesson had worked for most students

although there was still noticeable difficulty for students to

remain engaged throughout the lesson due to, as one mentor said,

“Students were just having difficulty connecting to the questions

and answering.” One mentor spoke of how when she asked a student

why he had chosen his answer, his response was simply, “I don’t

know. It sounds right.” She went on to mention that, “He just

seemed tired during the lesson.” The question of the time of the

lessons and the students’ ability to remain focused and engaged


on the lesson remained a recurring theme brought up by students,

mentors, and even staff.

1e.Geometry I & Data, Statistics, and Probability I

We entered this last unit with heavy hearts but with great

expectations. As part of the lesson, we were to do a 30-minute

farewell with students to accompany this lesson that, based upon

my planning, was intended to not take longer than an hour due to

the overall emphasis on geometry (40% of the SAT) on the

examination versus data, statistics, and probability questions

(10-15%). The lesson provided access to prior knowledge of the

students but did little to push deeper mathematical connections

and provide sufficient practice. Once we had accessed prior

knowledge through guided practice, we went on to go into

independent practice. Each student received a question of medium

level, asked to respond to it, and provided their fellow students

an explanation of the manner in which they responded to the

question. Since all students had taken or were are in Geometry,

the work proved easy to respond to for most students. Katrina and


Andres, who had difficulty answering questions in the Algebra

lesson had a much easier time, getting right responses though

their ability to explain their answer was difficult for them.

During the session with his group, Huracan demonstrated his

expertise by leading the group in discussing their responses,

taking away from me the role of teacher, and transferring it to

the group as being partners in learning. The other mentors

received the same type of response from students, a communal

sense of knowing, and a confidence in the work they were doing

where they felt they could answer questions without the need of

their mentor since the information was relatively fresh in their

minds. Students were receptive to the mentors throughout each

lesson, but one thing that did happen more often this week were

the number of students who had to leave early due to family

business or needing to get home. In one session, after 30

minutes, I was left with no students due to the student’s ride

home arriving early to pick her and her cousin, who attends the

same school. I later learned that the reason was primarily due to

health reasons. Yet, in the brief time I spent with the students

during this session, these students provided me with valuable


information regarding their learning of an academic subject they

had little knowledge about due to their prior academic

experience. These students differentiated their public education

from charter education as having different “choices” as it

regards courses and expectations.

The farewell part of this lesson was our culminating words

of expressions of love towards the students. I include this part

of the lesson in the theme of supporting students’ development of

a college-going identity because it is in this brief time period

where students demonstrate a level of love and care that was

surprising to the fellow mentors as well as me. This response was

surprising not only due to the comments made but the questions

they asked in a manner that demonstrated a mutual love and

respect for one another a comradeship between them and us that

in the brief time together grew exponentially.

1f. Reflection: Improvement with plenty of space to grow

The students’ scores like our relationship grew

significantly in the time we were there. Between their second

Diagnostic and third Diagnostic examination (the time before and

a month and a half following our entry into the afterschool


space) the students’ scores as a school improved from a combined

average of 949 to 1022. My groups fared much better than the

school in this initial phase improving from 1096 to 1245. This

relatively low score was due to the students’ impulse to answer

every question even if they know they are not required to do so.

As I had mentioned in Segment II, one student (who is Huracan

from Group 2), did not believe me when I told him that you were

not required to answer all questions on the SAT. This sentiment,

even following weeks of practice, remained an idea that some

students could not come to terms with. One student, Grace from

Group 2, told me, “We have become so use to answer everything

it’s hard not to try to answer a question even when we are not

sure it is correct.” This sentiment was held by a number of

students whom I asked from my groups as well as others. They have

become so accustomed in responding to each question that they

feel obligated to answer even if they are unsure of their

response.

As the lessons progressed, I made a consorted effort to have

students internalize the idea of not having to answer a question

if they were not sure of it. Yet, the curriculum and lessons call


for students to provide a response. The choice for students to

not answer a question becomes counter to the lesson objectives

although some students, particularly in the passage-based reading

lesson, were quick to employ one of the methods the SAT

preparation program taught which noted, “If you can’t get your

answer choices down to two responses then you leave it alone.”

For Xochitl, as well as other students, this idea was wonderful

since it meant that if they could not figure out a response, they

would simply negate answering the question.

At the time of this publication, I learned that the groups

under my direction had their overall score drop from 1245 to

1217. Although their ability to answer questions marginally

increased so did their incorrect responses. I must note that I

have yet to receive the overall school report as of the time of

this publication. The shifts in structure, outreach, and

implementation of the Crossover SAT preparation program garnered

improved attendance but, as of now, lack the statistical data to

show improved scores, at least from my students. The shifts in

structure, outreach, and implementation generated from the

students a heightened expectation of the curriculum and its


mentors. There is considerable work to do in regards of having

students remain engaged in the academic lessons. As I learned

from their final surveys, the top three reasons why students did

not come were the following: they had other business to attend

(family, personal), did not want to attend (homework, hungry,

lazy, boring, too long), or due to transportation/ time

conflicts.

By far the recurring statement made by students relates to

family being a priority over their SAT session. One student from

my Group 3, Yaya, wrote in Spanish about how she has to care for

her mother afterschool and sometimes has to take her to therapy.

Another student explained how she babysits her siblings then

works to support her family by working late night at a fast food

place nearby. Five students simply put it as they have family

issues/ business they have to tend to afterschool. Usually the

students wrote in their responses that they had personal

business, or they had meetings related to school or

extracurricular activities.

Some students wrote that they just do not want to attend or

wrote they did not want to attend due to their homework, being


hungry, lazy, the sessions being too long, boring. There were

three students who wrote about students being or perceiving not

being prepared, and therefore they saw the sessions as being

unimportant which coincides with the responses provided by a few

students who did not see the sessions as being important or who

prioritized other activities over the SAT preparation. For those

who came to every session, they suggested ideas like, “Maybe they

don’t care,” or “fear of failure.” How can I support students who

fear failure have the audacious hope to counter their deficit

thoughts of themselves (HarvardEducation, 2010)?

Yet, one thing that I learned from students, sessions, and

the survey was the fact that transportation and the time of the

SAT preparation conflicted with the time students could get home.

The session ran from 4pm until 6pm and, as one student simply put

it, “don’t have a ride back home.” As I learned from one of my

students from Group 3, her parents arrive at 4:30pm to get her to

drop her off at home before they enter work at 6pm at a nearby

factory. She seldom came to sessions, but in the brief time she

spent here, she collected work that she could do on her own to

make sure she received the necessary practice for her to continue


to get better at the SAT. Her case, like some of the other

students, was the lack of reliable resources, including public

transportation to get home. How can I expect her to stay if she

cannot honestly stay? How can I provide the material hope to

ensure she receives the most out of her academic experience

(HarvardEducation, 2010)?

In order to create and cultivate a high expectation, high

support model, I must be cognizant of the needs of the students.

Crossover SAT prep and the school did little to provide the

critical hope that Jeff Duncan-Andrade speaks about in his

lecture to the Harvard School of Education (2010). We provided a

space for growth and demonstrated potential outside of limited

expectations; yet the fact remains that students have human needs

that require more. As the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs demonstrates

(see Appendix), if one lacks the necessities of life, it becomes

very difficult for one to dream outside the realm of what the

next day brings. For many students, their family was their source

of power and energy; they were the rationalizing source of

priority over the individual will of the student. As I will cover

in the next theme, the implications of creating a college-going


identity is a process of self-discovery and will against

perceived limited possibilities; a partnership between the

teacher and students grounded in supporting each other’s dreams

and aspirations to attain success. If I intend to create a

lasting change, I must work to create the possibilities for

change based upon the needs of the students by any means

necessary.

2. Supporting Students Development of a College Going Identity:

As I wrote in Segment II, the majority of the students’ view

of themselves is dubious of the possibility for them to be able

to attend a college because of an educational experience where

their abilities have been questioned. From the pre-survey, I

learned that they had a mixed response to their community as

being supportive in their development as students as they did

regarding about fellow students. The second survey verified the

conclusions made from the pre-survey. Therefore, the way I framed

my approach used Rogoff’s (1994) idea of “community of learners”

and used Blumenfeld, Puro, and Mergendoller (1992) idea of having

students partake in the process of learning not only about the

content but about themselves as developing individuals in a


process of growth (Graham, 1990). As the previous themes covered

extensively, we had to work to modify our very notions,

reactions, perceptions in order to better fit the needs of the

students we worked with in order to create an academic space

where students felt welcomed to be a part of. I had to make a

consorted effort to include the rest of the mentors in the

process of making the curriculum and the lessons culturally

relevant (Ladson-Billings, 1994) for students to feel confident

in accessing their funds of knowledge (Ruiz & Moll, 2002) and

working in groups that were organically demonstrative of expert-

novice relationships (Gobbo & Chi, 1986) to eventually be

comfortable to interthink (Mercer, 2000) not only with me but

with one another through problems. As I mentioned in Segment II,

the reality that I observed early on in SAT preparation sessions

were students’ self-ascribed notions of low ability and low

expectation that lead to them to perceive low achievement.

Internalized notions of inefficacy are a result of the student

responses to the conditions all around them through behavior

reflective of their experience. Their sometimes resistant

behavior (Solorzano & Bernal, 2001) was a response to an


experience that questioned their ability and learned knowledge, a

response to oppressive conditions.

Therefore, in order to create the supportive, transformative

academic space, I had to work to employ the aspect of their life

that most students saw as an overwhelming support in their

development, their familia. Based on the pre and second survey,

their family, for a majority of students, was a source of support

in their development as students. They saw the school and most

teachers as part of that process, but it is important to

acknowledge that the academic institutions, and those who work

within, create that socialization by design (Parsons, 1959). Yet,

as a program that came in as a supportive service afterschool,

our association with the students differs in that we are part of

the academic institution with a degree of uncertainty in our

relation to the purpose of the school and our relationship to the

students. Therefore, the results from the pre-survey and the

second survey reflected the process of sociocultural association

based upon our interactions with students. For some, we served as

mentors, partners, in their academic pursuits; others as

appendages of the academic institution that made the SAT


preparation mandatory; others as teachers with set expectations

and agreements; still others were unsure of how we were to relate

due to our minimal understanding of one another.

As I noted in Segment II, I was a visible difference for

students being the only Latino5 who tutored in the SAT

preparation. For them to see me taking the time to remind them of

sessions and visiting their classes to answer any questions they

might have proved to be an empowering experience, one I did not

plan or expect. Over time, students as well as teachers began to

see me as a source of empowerment to the students due to my

dedication to providing the best possible support to their

development as students, human beings. Yet this growth in

relating to students was a process all in itself that I will

cover in depth in the next theme of engaging and empowering

students.

2a. College Dialogue

As part of the Crossover SAT prep curriculum, we were

provided one opportunity during my action plan to engage students

5 I personally ascribe myself as Chicano yet for students I was a Latino due to the popularized ethnic identity of the community of people of Mesoamerican,Caribbean, and South American descent.


in the work of planning for college. The lesson called for us to

go over college requirements and the students’ availability to

attend certain universities based upon their academic profiles

that included their GPA, diagnostic SAT scores, and the Holland’s

Personality Test to think about majors based upon their

personality traits. From that point, we would go into learning

about scholarships and funding for college. Yet, as I mentioned

in the previous theme, we only had two days to do this unit for

over 60 students with limited support to do the lesson to its

full potential, which included having computer access to have

students, and mentors access online sources. Therefore, after the

first lesson, as mentors we had already decided to make the next

session a college workshop concentrating on the process of

applying to college since we had relatively little time to go

into detail regarding funding and scholarships.

For the second lesson, we decided to have all of our

students do the college lesson together and have a dialogue

regarding college and the choices present at the institution. We

first asked students to list their name, college of choice, and

major they would like to study. Each group had a group-appointed


scribe to collect and write down the information for each group.

As students saw their choices and others, they saw shared goals

and common career paths that had not been visible before or had

never mentioned to one another. We allowed them time to share

their reasons why they wanted to go to a particular college or

major in a particular field. As they dialogued, within their eyes

we saw high expectations marred by a sense of incapacity based on

their academic experience. As Katrina had noted in the previous

college lesson, “I want to but I don’t know if I can,” a

perceived reality that a number of students held based upon their

responses on pre-survey and the second survey. As a result of the

students’ responses, the next activity, the Holland’s Personality

Test proved to be important for the students’ conceptualization

of their college aspirations and identity. Instead of framing the

personality test as a definitive reflection of their expected

career path and identity, we decided to frame the test as

reflection of their different possibilities and areas of

strength. As I noted in Segment II, Freire (1987) once wrote:

The process of learning, through which historically we

have discovered that teaching is a task not only


inherent to the learning process but also characterized

by it, can set off in the learner an ever-increasing

creative curiosity…epistemological curiosity…an

intimate critical connection that must be submitted to

methodical and rigorous analysis (p. 48).

We intended in having students analyze their results and come to

an understanding that this test serves to demonstrate all their

potential, potential that for some does not come even during

college but through lived experiences.

The students took the test, provided their top three

responses, and from those responses they inquired about the

possible fields of study they could enter. Some were pleasantly

surprised, others were intrigued, some seemed confused that

coming to terms with their aspirations were a possibility based

upon this simplistic test. As we reviewed the requirements for

different college institutions, private and public universities,

and shared our (Mentors and I) experiences applying to these

institutions, some students remained transfixed on their

different choices available to them. I explained to them how I

changed majors during my undergraduate study twice because of


what I was learning. Another mentor stepped in and explained her

experience of going from studying Chemistry to Journalism because

of learning her passion. As another mentor mentioned, “College is

not like high school where there is someone to tell you what to

do, you do or you don’t and that’s it!” Some students laughed

nervously as we briefly reviewed with them different forms of

funding that are available for students. I asked students to

provide me their email, and I told them that I would be sending

them an email that contained some scholarships they could look

into and apply. The students grew excited as we explained to them

that we have to apply to college without a fear of rejection

since if we do not try, we are denying the possibility of being

able to enter a college and striving for our goals.

Following this unit, I became fervently active in making the

trip to the Youth Empowerment Conference at UC Raza possible. I

felt that the only way in which I could ensure that students

could really get a sense of being able to attend a university was

by taking them to a conference that has been dedicated to

empowering students of color to attend college for nearly a

quarter of a century. I will speak further about the experience


of making the trip possible in the following theme, but in the

following weeks I made more of a consorted effort to answer

students questions not only within one class but make the

discussions from one class a part of the shared information into

another class. Since my intent was to demonstrate to students a

common struggle to understand the college going process, I made

sure to relay information from class to class in order to

establish within this community of practice a shared body of

knowledge that was constantly dialoguing not only about preparing

for the SAT but to go to college. With it, I would include my

progress on making the trip happen. Once I was ensured that the

trip to the Youth Empowerment Conference would happen, the

teachers and I were relentless in having students partake in the

opportunity. Out of the over 60 students who could attend, only

38 would sign up; only 28 would end up going with us to the trip.

The final lesson and the final survey would serve to reflect the

students’ changing perspective of them and us.

2b. The Farewell

The final lesson, the farewell, became a moment where the

mentors and I were able to share our college experience more


freely and in turn provide students an opportunity to ask us

further about our college experience. I had thought about the

best way I could say goodbye to them. When the day came I decided

to share with them some of my poetry I had written during high

school along, with a more critical view of my life growing up in

a community much like theirs, and my experience overcoming the

obstacles that were once put in place as a result of my decisions

and choices. I asked a fellow mentor to share her poetry as well

since I had learned of her story of overcoming deficit thinking.

I did this with the intent to demonstrate to students that our

work for them, and the community, is grounded in creating the

support that is necessary to counter preconceived notions of

limited potential. I shared with them the mixed perspective they

share of their community but their shared perspective of the

school, teachers, and most importantly familia that makes them

work to succeed. I shared with them the thought that their fellow

classmates, even if they sometimes act as they don’t care, have

much more going on that if we are willing to understand we can

support their development. Group III, that had been inconsistent

throughout the program, appeared on the last lesson to be the


source of a critical dialogue about countering ideas of hatred of

oneself and the community. I explained to them that we must learn

to love ourselves for who we are, not who other people want us to

be, for the moment that we neglect who we are, we neglect

ourselves. I explained to them how I tried to change to fit in

but eventually realized that my unique experience has made me who

I am. It was a [partial] conclusion that I figured out in college

through my experiences there, away from the familiar. I explained

that wherever we go, we are unique in that we have persevered

beyond what was expected of us, and we are making from our

success the possibility for others like us to follow. The fellow

mentors shared the idea that if college is expected, then the

trend is that there will be no question in them attending since

it will be the norm. The students’ response to the final lessons

was a sense of love and admiration for us, and a dedication to

their education that was far beyond the meager monetary payment

we received. The students sensed our love for them and in turn

returned the same sentiment to us in working to attain what we

expected of them, a college education.

2c. Final Survey


As I reviewed the information regarding the initial survey

and the second survey, I realized that I wanted to receive more

information regarding the students’ thoughts about their

possibility of going to college and what they perceived as

characteristics of college-going students. In addition, I wanted

to figure out the reasons why they, or others, had not been able

to attend the afterschool SAT preparation sessions (Covered in

Theme 1). One question raised from the first survey was also if

they felt prepared to attend a university since there was a

significant amount of students who did not know if they were

ready to go to college. Therefore, in the final I asked students:

1) Do you see yourself going to college? Why or why not?

2) What are traits or characteristics that you think are

important for going to college?

3) What are reasons why you or others have been unable to

attend the SAT preparation sessions afterschool? (Covered in

detail in Theme 1: Creating and cultivating a High

Expectation, High Support model)

4) How can your academic experience be improved to be ready for

college?


There were a variety of answers to the questions provided to

the students. There were 62 respondents in all and their

responses, like the students, varied in interpretation due to a

variation of their experiences. Their responses reflected a more

in depth analysis of their ideas as it relates to being students

who are developing a college-going identity (See Appendix).

1) Do you see yourself going to college?

Only five students did not really themselves going to

college. They based their response because of their academic

experience as one student put it, “I don’t feel confident with

everything I have done in high school.” There were six students

who want to go to college but, they see community college as

their better option; out of these four of the students made the

distinction of community college as if they do not consider the

community college route a college setting. Of these 11 students,

six of them began their analysis with the comment, “I don’t

know,” and as one student put it, “it’s difficult to with all

these homeworks from classes and many issues.” These students


clearly recognized college as a possibility but a decision that

appears too early to consider in light of their academic

experience in high school. As one student noted, “No because I

have all C’s.” This student was discouraged by his grades as was

the previous student due to the “homeworks” and issues. They see

it as a possibility but their abilities have come into question

and, as a result, their social allocation pushes away from

entering academia into entering other social capacities. For

three students who saw college as a possibility, they are quick

to switch their social capacity into other work. For two of the

students, they plan to enter the military first before going to

college while another student plans to travel in order to get a

better idea of the world. They see their potential but understand

there are other options in the world that can help them develop

further.

The majority of the students (48 of the 62 students) saw

themselves as being college-going students. Thirty-two of the

students framed their response around career and life choices

that will lead them to better lives. They see entering a

university as an opportunity in becoming something, as space of


further development. As eight of the students responded, they saw

higher education as an opportunity to further develop their

intellectual skills. They also see the university setting as a

space to develop the skills necessary for them to be able to go

further on into the careers and the better lives they envision

for themselves. The students consistently wrote of working hard

to accomplish their goals and striving for this “better life.”

They saw college as a pathway towards a future that was now, for

six of the students, determined by their decision to attend the

university. They saw the university as a beacon of hope for

themselves.

Eight of the students intend to go to college in order to

support their families financially. Their family serves as the

main motivator in their intend to go to the university. As one

student put it, “Yes because I want to be the first from my

family to graduate. I want to make my old man proud showing him

that I can do it.” One student noted that the reason why they

were “discipline and compatible” with going to college was a

direct result of his family. He felt that his family, along with


his school, had given him the skills to be able to succeed in a

university setting.

Based on the responses provided by the students, I was able

to see a slight clarification of the students’ perceptions of

being able to attend college and the thoughts that were running

through their mind as they enter the next stage in their life.

The students’ perception of being able to attend college has

increased, and their future goals for some have become clarified

to the point where they are now trying to figure college choices

and funding. For one student, the reason why s/he believed s/he

might not be able to go is due to funding concerns. Yet, the

overall trend of the students is seeing themselves as college-

going students with many options for their future. The increased

confidence in the students’ perception that they will attend a

college institution demonstrates an internalization of the ideal

of a college-going identity and presents an overall growth in the

students’ college going-identity.

2)What are traits or characteristics that you think are important

for going to college?


The responses of students ranged from characteristics,

skills sets, and their perceptions of the college-going

experience. From the responses that students provided, few were

able to give responses that included the reason why they

acknowledged a certain characteristic, skill set, or perception

of the college going experience (8 out of 62). Yet, in their

single word and fragment sentences they provided me a critical

analysis of their perception of college. Their responses were

short, but within the words they used they provided a glimpse of

their elaborate conceptions of higher education.

The top characteristics that students noted as being

necessary for going to college were responsibility, motivation,

dedication, hard working (working hard), independence, and being

social/ outgoing. These characteristics were similar between

students who saw themselves as going to college or not. Their

reasoning for these characteristics as being important ranged

from, “Being responsible, never giving up” to “Perseverance-being

on top of the things no matter what anyone says.”

Often times the students’ responses were with particular

skills that a college a student needs to have to be in a


university setting. The particular traits that students

identified as important were critical thinking, being organized,

having study skills, time management, and setting goals. Most of

these responses where after giving a characteristic that is

necessary for going to college for example, “1) Potential/

motivation 2) Organization.” Yet, it is important to note that

for students the ability to be organized or managing time was a

characteristic that they thought was vital in their ability to

become college graduates. They thought of traits as skills sets

that are necessary in order to succeed; “having people skills” or

“organized-to keep track of dates and times.”

Some of the students’ responses were related to the

students’ perceived notions of the college going experience.

Ideas of growing up/ maturing, doing things on their own

(studying, working), and having to learn quickly became topics

that were addressed in direct and indirect manner through the

words used by students. For example, “Initiative-because I have

to be responsible for my things seriously,” or “Determination:

have to be determined and push yourself to want education.”


The students’ responses, according to my understanding,

ranged from characteristics, skill sets, and their perceptions of

the college-going experience. From what I analyzed, the students

of the school have developed a deeper understanding of what it

takes to go to college in terms of ideals; however, within these

ideals were still some fundamental discrepancies in regards to

actual learned experiences of college and the process that

students must go through once they are there. The students see

their potential to attend a college institution far better than

in the beginning of this process with the strengthening of these

ideals; I wonder if the supports exist within to withstand the

growing load upon them. Do they feel they have the support not

only around them but also within to withstand the pressures of

this new stage in their life?

How can your academic experience be improved to be ready for

college?

The responses of students ranged from: having classes be

more like college, having more time to study and do work, and

having better organization and motivation. Seven students did not

respond to this question. Three simply did not have an idea of


what could improve in their academic experience to be ready for

college. Twenty-one students believed that they require more time

and skill to study. Seventeen students believed that they

required more organization and motivation. Sixteen students

called for more courses that prepared students for college.

The students that did not have any suggestion in how their

academic experience could be improved to be ready for college was

not due to not wanting to attend college; it was due to not

having anything to note. All these students see college as a

possibility, and appear to have their future in mind though they

show that they had difficulty attending the SAT preparation

sessions due to their responses to question three. They all

demonstrated a desire to move forward on to the next part of

their life.

The students who desire more time and skills to study all

indicated a desire to continue their education mostly for the

reason of attaining a better life for themselves. One student

noted:

“I can read more books, books with a whole new vocab.

that I don’t know anything of, ask other adults outside


of school about things I don’t understand like in geo,

history, English, etc. even my peers and have study

sessions with my friends on the weekend or on school

nights”

Most responses were reflective of things they felt they had not

done during their time in high school as one student wrote, “If I

follow the 3 step traits I have in Question number 2 (i.e.

‘1)Keep my grades up and work hard 2)Study a lot so I can

understand everything 3) No more Laziness’)”.

For the students that believed they required more

organization or dedication, their train of thought was similar to

the aforementioned in regards to being critical of their academic

integrity. As one student wrote, “Focus more on school work, plan

out your daily life.” Alternatively, another student who

acknowledged, “Doing my work better and not letting others

thoughts get to me.”

As for the students who called for more courses that

prepared them for college, they demonstrated a particular

criticism of the academic institutions. As one student wrote, “I

think that if it [Schools] were set more like college it would


help. It would help to have a college readiness session.” Another

student wrote, “There can be more college level experiences, not

just high school,” which brings forth the argument of a lack of

AP courses available at the school for students. These students

demonstrate recognition of an education they feel is subpar to an

education at other academic institutions as well as other

students do. Yet, this is an internalized critique for most

students.

Overall students desire an education that they feel has

prepared them to tackle the rigors of college but acknowledge

that this development has to be a mutual partnership of attaining

the knowledge and skills to be prepared by having the schools

provide the time and space to generate the critical development

students desire. Students acknowledge their faults but, in turn,

the academic institutions must recognize their own. If we seek to

have students prepared for college, we must make a consorted

effort to offer them the opportunity to develop that knowledge

and skills they seek.

2d. Reflection: Expectations Internalized yet not Realized


The implication of creating a college-going identity is a

process of self-discovery and will: a partnership grounded in

supporting each other’s dreams and aspirations. Based on their

final surveys, students realized that the expectation for them to

go to college has always been present just that the knowledge and

desire to attend has been in question. This process of self-

discovery sought for students to see areas for improvement within

and to acknowledge the strengths they have within. Rather than

critique them, I choose to work with them to attain the knowledge

and skills to access the information they think necessary to

attain their goals. Based on their final surveys, their

individual will calls for them to work harder to attain success.

Yet, success for one is the failure of another. This is why it

was important to demonstrate to students that there exists plenty

of choices other than the four-year public and private academic

institutions; it was important to demonstrate to students that

the discourse of attending college was more complex but not a

far-fetched idea outside their realm of possibility. Although we

strived to inculcate and provide students as much information as

possible to prepare for college and the upcoming college


application process, one student at another school site said it

best, “We can try to prepare for everything but ultimately we can

never be prepared completely.” The students’ view of themselves

and their confidence in going to college grew, but there looms

plenty of questions that will be answered in due time. They see

their potential far better now than a few weeks ago, but I guess

that is what happens when we are given the ideological tools to

conceptualize our future. The Crossover SAT prep program as well

as the school did what it could to provide the tools to have

students see the possibility to attend college. However,

ultimately, as I mentioned in the previous theme, this effort

must have the critical hope and resources to support the

transformative academic space through not only ideas but also

materiality. If we seek to have our students to see themselves in

college, we must have models for them to look towards for

guidance in this process. I tried to be that source of

empowerment and engagement as I will cover in the next theme, but

as I learned, this must come from more than just one source, one

entity.

3) Engaging and Empowering Students in the Process


In order for us to speak truth to power, we must be willing

to analyze it and counter is ideological framework from the very

root of its distortion. As Stuart Hall (2003) explains:

First, ideologies do not consist of isolated and

separate concepts, but in the articulation of different

elements into a distinctive set or chain of meaning…

Second, ideological statements are made by individuals;

but ideologies are not the product of individual

consciousness or intention. Rather we formulate our

intentions within ideologies…Third, ideologies “work”

by constructing for their subjects (individual and

collective) positions of identification and knowledge

which allows them to “utter” ideological truths as if

they were their authentic authors. (pp. 89-90)

In order to have students become engaged and empowered to work to

create a transformative space that was of their own ideas, I had

to work to create the space of possibility by systematically

disrupting the ideological framework that in their experience has

seen few if any member of their family go to college. Students

themselves acknowledge the community in a negative perspective


not because of negative experiences, for the most part, but due

in a part to the collective internalized perspective that their

community is not a place of empowerment, especially academic due

to the notion of the members of the community being “ghetto.”

Because of this constant negative perception of self and

community, the ideological statements, as Hall notes, reflect the

idea of them being “ghetto” although this idea is lacking of any

validity. Yet, this idea makes sense when our individual

perspective is reflective of the collective identity although

within we might be conscious of other ideological truths that

exist. As Allan Johnson (2006) writes that we choose the paths of

least resistance in order to fit in because we are afraid of

being outcast, out of place, even if we might be conscious of the

truth. He notes that although it is the path of least resistance,

it is not the easy way by any means. As the students have taught

me, they want to remain relevant with their peers yet want to

strive to attain their individual goals. Towards the end of the

program, I saw how students grew closer together and more driven

to push each other to attend afterschool especially if they could

work together. It was a clear difference from the beginning when


they felt they could not group up with their fellow classmates

who, for most, were a system of support emotionally rather than

academically.

In order to make them be able to see the possibility, there

must be a consorted effort to counter ideological frameworks that

intend to encapsulate students within a given ideology. Break

them off into another realm of possibility, for this project, was

the idea of going to college and empowering them to continue the

academic space after the Crossover SAT prep program has left.

Yet, the idea that within nine weeks I could counter an ideology

that had, for some students, become so deeply internalized is too

advantageous to consider; yet, the seed was planted and began to

sow within them and their peers. To make them see the ability to

counter limited possibilities, I had to work to model what is

possible with the use of cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005). I had to

apply different forms of cultural capital to make the trip to the

Youth Conference possible. This process began with informing my

supervisors and Angela Davis Academy of my intent. The message

was positively received by both but then the question came about

how will the trip be paid. From previous experiences I had


learned that in order to make something happen, we must be

willing to put into the pot what we have; in my case I had 100

dollars. I spoke to my partner, and she was willing to help me

out as well by matching my donation. With this money, I went into

a meeting with my supervisor and the principal to provide

information of the trip and its intent. Ms. Gompers and Mr.

Queens were both from communities much like those of the

students. They both loved the idea that I was grounding my trip

around providing them an opportunity to understand college more

in-depth. They both shared their academic experiences with me and

how they were rarely provided an opportunity to attend a

university before going to a university. I explained to them that

I had already collected 200 dollars and was willing to fundraise

more if necessary. They accepted my idea.

The students received the trip slips to take them on the

trip. Students had a week to bring the trip slips back signed.

Since the trip was Saturday, some students openly said they would

not go. I helped in the effort to inform students, but ultimately

the school counselor, Ms. Concepcion, and the teachers were the

source of empowering students to go. They shared their college


experience with students the days I went to their classes since

they felt they had to demonstrate how rare an opportunity this

experience was. In one class, the teacher, Ms. Rioja, asked me to

clarify the idea that education is not a right, it is a

privilege. I gave them the case of Rodriguez v. San Antonio

Unified School District to explain to them what the Supreme Court

thought of education as well as the current events in Detroit

where schools are being shut down. Some students who had their

laptops open quickly searched my facts to check if I was telling

the truth. Sure enough, they found I was telling them the truth.

As I told them, “Our education and ability to attend colleges has

been a recent development that for a long time was limited due to

outright discrimination, racism.”

I was informed with two weeks left for the trip of the need

for me to fundraise 400 dollars for the trip. I quickly turned to

UC Raza to find more funding for the trip. Most organizations

explained their lack of funds because of other planned activities

as well as monetarily supporting the Youth Empowerment

Conference. It was then when I turned to a Vice Chancellor of the

university to support my plan. Yet, this was only possible on the


week of the trip. My experience with this Vice-Chancellor had

been a complicated relationship during my undergraduate career

since I was active in organizing for students’ rights. Plenty of

times, we sat across the table of possibility primarily over use

of university funds, but now I had to work with him to provide my

students the possibility to attend this trip. I planned my

talking points and reasons why he should support my plans, but

ultimately this was not necessary. It was like if I was talking

to an old friend that missed our discussions. A few years had

made him and me see more and more the same vision for education:

a limited opportunity for “diverse” students. He recognized that

the ideas I had presented many years before were far more real

than when I attended the university. My continued commitment to

students’ rights even after leaving school became “a beckon of

hope that is rarely seen in the current educational system.” We

spoke of creating working relations between universities and

schools that are in communities that are historically

socioeconomically disadvantaged and creating partnership between

the institutions to counter the school to prison pipeline. As I

explained to him, the students’ desires to go to universities yet


rarely have an opportunity to work alongside university students

of color. Therefore, opportunities like these where they have the

opportunity to meet and interact with students of color at a

university provide them a motivation to enter higher education

since the idea is no longer a dream but a possibility. The Vice-

Chancellor offered to cover the cost of the trip. As I left his

office, I felt a huge weight become lifted from my shoulders.

Part of my deal in bringing the students to the university

included providing students with mentors for the day that also

included me recruiting students from the university. Since I had

remained close with the university and a number of organizations,

this was quick work. I sat down with my partner and some of her

friends to help me in this aspect of my plan. Later on, after

sitting down with the Vice-Chancellor, I sat down with a couple

of university students from another organization to recruit them

to help me for the day. They all were more than happy to help me

with the plan. In one day, using my cultural capital, I was able

to make the trip possible. With the students signed up and the

mentors ready for the day, which included one from Crossover SAT


preparation, we were ready for the trip to the Youth Empowerment

Conference.

3a.The Youth Empowerment Conference and the Conference Survey

As I mentioned previously, out of the 38 students who

planned to go to the Youth Empowerment Conference, 28 went on to

go to the youth empowerment conference. Andres, Xochitl, Katrina,

and Huracan were all able to make the trip even after Huracan had

repeatedly joked around that he needed a ride; each time I

responded with, “If you need to pick me up you have my number.” I

felt this was his check of my authenticity or to see how I would

respond. All students were energized and ready to go as soon as

we were ready to go early in the morning on April 27, 2013. One

student had asked me to talk to her mother the day before in

order for her to attend the Youth Empowerment Conference; yet, by

the time we were set to go on the trip the student failed to

appear. As I looked upon the students and their excitement, I

reminisced upon my first experience going to a university on my

own accord. Upon their eyes I saw uncertainty of what awaited

them yet a calm that what lay before them was an experience they


would learn much from. The students sat clustered together in the

bus with them leaving a seat open for me to sit with them. During

the ride to the Youth Empowerment Conference, students took

pictures, conversed, listened to music, and asked me questions of

UC Raza and my collegiate experience. As we drove into the rising

sun, I reminisced about my first drive over to the university and

entering this unknown academic space where I found a piece of my

soul. Perhaps the students would receive the same from this

experience.

When we arrived, I instructed students to break up into

groups of 4 or 5 to have someone who they are comfortable with.

As they grouped together, three students from the university

arrived to present themselves to the students. The university

students wore their organizations letters upon their chest as

they provided their name, major, year of study, and city of

origin. These students were the first set of university students

that the students of Angela Davis Academy would encounter on this

day. As walked towards the sign in table, students looked around

as I pointed out certain buildings and their significance for me

and other fellow students. As we arrived to sign in, more


university students promptly greeted us, we received some

breakfast snacks and we received folders with information

regarding the conference. While I explained to the students, the

information provided within the folders and gave them the

conference survey, other students who I knew personally arrived

to present themselves to the students and provide them with kind

words of their experience to the students. We hurried to see the

conference keynote speaker. It was there where students began

their journey of learning. It was there where they began their

journey of self-discovery as they entered the 500-seat auditorium

where my collegiate experience once began.

By the Youth Empowerment Conference’s end, the students

lively spirits remained, their bodies tired by their journey but

with a newfound hope within their souls. The conference surveys I

provided them from the beginning were returned to me with a

newfound understanding of themselves. The questions that I

provided them were the following:

1) What did you find valuable about the Youth Conference? Why?

2) What would you take from this Youth Conference and share

back with fellow students?


3) What would you like to know more about?

4) After this experience do you feel more confident about going

to college? Why or why not?

There were different responses to the questions provided to

the students. The responses, like the students, varied in their

response due to a variation in their experiences. Yet, their

responses reflected a glimpse into their shared experience of

going to the Youth Empowerment Conference; receiving from this

experience a deeper understanding of their capability to attend a

college in their near future (See Appendix).

1)What did you find valuable about the Youth Conference? Why?

The overall experience of the students at the conference was

a positive motivator on their journey to higher education. For

some, the keynote speaker, a notable female judge of a state in

the Southwest of the United States, and her story of success

against discrimination, lowered expectation due her ethnicity and

gender, and outright difficulty due to limited support from

family hit very close to home. One student wrote, “Something

valuable that I found out about the Youth Conference is our [the

judge and my] stories were very much alike. The judge went


through a tough time & made me realize that I can make it too.”

During her speech, she gave them 10 lessons she learned to

succeed which I will share in the next section since that

information was valuable for many of the students.

For some students they found the caring relationships began

with students from the university, not only the ones I presented

to them but others. The students felt very welcomed to UC Raza,

and their positive experiences with students of the university

served to motivate students since they felt a level of support at

the university that made them analyze themselves. For one

student, the willingness of university students to take the time

to provide them advice and tips for college made them realize

that college was a possibility. For another student, it motivates

him or her to consider applying there feeling that UC Raza was

the college that fit his or her particular vision of a college

experience.

For some of the students the information regarding the

application, funding, and college majors and careers served as

the most valuable experience they had during the day. Information

like the mandatory A-G, College requirement session following the


keynote speaker where students receive a detailed breakdown of

college options available in the state as well as difference

forms of funding available served as valuable information since I

knew that Crossover SAT prep and the school had done little to

inform students of those possibilities. Although I had provided

students with a list of scholarships available to them via email

when we did the College workshop, to learn of more funding

options served as an important source of information for

students. The career workshop that happened after lunch also

provided plenty of information regarding majors and possible

career options based upon their major decisions. For one student

this workshop clarified to him his career option and provided him

with the idea that you have to love what you do.

The overall trend of their thoughts was the idea of

motivation to attend college. As one student wrote, “they really

want Chicanos to go to college because not many people do that.”

Students learned in special interest workshops about empowering

Latina/os, Chicana/os; about empowering the Mujer; about the

power of the Spoken Word; about the different choices available

at the university. From this conference, students received not


only workshops but also a tour of the university provided by the

university students. From their experience during the day, they

received so many messages of support to seek the path going to a

college.

2)What would you take from this Youth Conference and share back

with fellow students?

The words of the keynote speaker and those in different

workshops helped students greatly in thinking of what is next.

Many of the students were particularly impressed by the words

provided the Keynote Speaker, the Chicano empowerment, and La

Mujer workshops as well as the information they receive from the

College Student Panel. From the Keynote speaker they receive the

10 lessons of attaining success:

10) Having a Purpose: knowing what you want

9) Forgiving yourself and others: moving forward rather than

living in the past

8) Working hard: not giving up even when things get tough

7) Courage: Willing to accept failure as a necessary

experience


6) Help others, help each other out: Be willing to support

each other rather than put them down

5) Live your life to the fullest: recognize your limits and

the importance of living life

4) Curiosity: Be willing to learn everyday from everything

you do

3) Life is not fair: Sometimes there will be times you feel

cheated but remember to do 9.

2) Have support in your life: Family and friends help a lot

when we feel alone.

1) Have joy in your life: Motivation in life comes from

positive experiences

Many of these same themes carried through in the presentation of

other workshops that helped in connecting the theme of the

conference, which was ¡Órale Raza! La Educación es Para Todos—

Levántate y Lucha: My People! Education is for everyone-Get up

and Fight. From the Chicano Empowerment workshop, they got the

thought of, “Chicanos are capable to get an education, but they

just need to have ganas (motivation, drive, passion).” From the

La Mujer workshop, they receive the message: “You have to be


confident,” and “Everything is possible you just have to give it

your best.” As for the students’ panel, they received the idea

that, “Once you are in college you’re alone and you got to be

more responsibility to take care of” and “The emphasis of hard

work and time balancing.” One student’s response encapsulates the

overall idea that the students will share with their fellow

students: “The knowledge that I gained from it will forever

change me in realizing that I can make it & apply it in school &

make others realize it too.” The experience in its totality was

what they felt their fellow students need to know: The different

experiences and possibilities present at universities. As one

student wrote, “That you have a lot of options towards what you

want to be and for now just concentrate and push yourself to a

higher level.”

What would you like to know more about?

Overall students wanted more details regarding specific

major and college requirements as a path towards particular

careers. These sentiments shared with me, especially following

the career workshop, since they were able to interact with

professionals in their particular field of study. As they learned


more of options, they realized they would require more

information regarding general education requirements as well as

specific major requirements that demonstrates a move from just

the application process to striving towards a deeper

understanding of the college experience. Yet, this experience

sparked within a few students possibly replicating two of the

workshops at Angela Davis Academy, La Mujer and the Poetry

workshop. One student wrote, “The thing I would like to know more

about is the empowering Chicana/Latina Women. VIVA LA MUJER!” The

students felt empowered to take action and felt confident that

they have the capability to do so since they have other students

with like-minded ideals ingrained in them. Their shared

experience demonstrated to them a shared vision of possibility to

not only go to college but also begin to work to create the

college-going culture at their school grounded on a shared ideal

of empowering each other with valuable information that could

help support the dreams of others.

After this experience do you feel more confident about going to

college? Why or why not?


The overall sentiment of the students was a resounding

“Yes.” They felt the possibility to attend college was far easier

to attain especially following an experience where many of their

questions were answered. Although this lead to other questions

about their ability to attend based upon their academic records,

they felt that college was more within their reach since they had

a clearer vision of expectations not only to attend but also to

succeed in college and life. Their experience at the Youth

Empowerment conference was for them what it was intended in

doing; empowering students of color learn of requirements to

enter college and empowering change within themselves and their

community for the uplifting of all Raza (People). For one student

this experience lead for her to state, “In particular this

college is the example for what a college should be.” Another

student wrote, “It just seems just more real.” While another

student said, “It really opened my eyes about college and I’m not

scared anymore.” The mutual feeling of nervousness or fear for

many dissipated, making their dream possible. They saw that

college was possible and not just an ideal that was given without


the possibility of attaining it, as one student wrote, “Not

everyone is perfect but with a little push, you can do it.”

3b.Reflection: Going to college and breaking away from “limited”

potential.

The trip home was a moment of delight. As we pulled in to

the school, I looked at the gay faces of the students and was

overwhelmed with a moment of deep connection with them. I asked

them to group together one more time to share a few more words

with them. As they came around me, I shared with them my final

words, “Never give up! Even if people turn their back on you or

try to bring you down, get up and keep working towards whatever

you do. Only you can make the decision in your life just make

sure that they are the best in the long run.” As I saw their

faces, I shed tears of happiness, and they did the same knowing

that the work we had done was for the communal good; it was

grounded in a mutual love and respect with one another that could

not be questioned. As they shared their gratitude with me, they

thanked me for giving them the opportunity to go beyond what they

expected. They thanked me for believing in their potential to go

to college and for sharing my love for the community with them.


As they left one student said, “Im going to miss you guys, I

really will. No lie. I love you guys.” His face as well as other

students shared the same unspoken sentiment. As I drove away, I

realized that in them I had not only sown a seed of hope but also

watered the land that for long had been denied, forgotten.

The process of having students go on this trip made me go

beyond what was required of me to make the plan a possibility. I

had to advocate on the students’ behalf and use all my sources of

cultural capital. One professor was willing to help me in this

process if my advocacy at UC Raza had not been successful. The

professor’s donation ended up helping to provide students some

snacks to eat on the way to the Youth Empowerment Conference.

This advocacy on my part worked to provide this unique

opportunity and activated some students to begin to help work to

transform the ideology of the school. They do not only see their

potential in attending college but have come to understand that

this process is not only an individual drive but also a communal

effort. As they saw at the Youth Empowerment Conference, the

resources necessary to make an event like the conference possible

requires a consorted effort on the behalf of many to make the


opportunity possible. Their dreams and aspirations are not only

theirs but are also reflective of the dreams and aspirations of

others.

IIIc. Understanding: SAT in an afterschool space and developing a

college-going identity

My 9-week action plan was carried to a certain level of

success. Although the students still demonstrate, at least within

my groups, a difficulty to compete at the national level on the

SAT, they have demonstrated the most important thing, developing

a college-going identity. As individuals and as community of

learners they have begun to realize the necessity to work to

support one another in the process of going to college. The tools

and resources that ultimately were brought in to support their

development of a college-going identity was the Crossover SAT

program and the trip to the Youth Empowerment Conference. These

two experiences provided a number of students a lasting

experience that has influenced them to think of college as more

of a possibility than they once believed. The shifts to the

structure, outreach, and implementation of the Crossover SAT

program allowed for slight increases in attendance although the


scores did not demonstrate the same since there were still a

number of students who did not feel welcomed to the space nor

engaged with the academic material provided. Family

responsibilities for many of the students became a priority for

students. Although I modified lessons to help students engage in

the material and did all I could to remind them to come,

ultimately the students’ individual choices dictated whether they

would attend. Therefore, I could not really work to create and

cultivate the afterschool academic space to an ideal within the

time I was there. From the Youth Empowerment Conference, students

learned that they could be the creators of transformation within

their community; an idea that based on the pre-survey and second

survey is necessary for them to support each other in the

development as students.

From the students valuable insights and ideas they have pushed

me to understand a couple of necessary things for there to occur

at the school to support the cultivation of the transformative

afterschool space:

1. Students desire a space where they can go, where they can be

able to get more skills that are academic and knowledge that


they can apply in their work. They want to know not just a

part but understand more in-depth ideas that they feel that

within school time are limited, therefore not challenging

and preparing them for college.

2. Students want more college-oriented courses that work to

prepare them for college. They want to attain an academic

curriculum that does more to have them become engaged in

learning about ideas that require higher-level thinking.

3. They want their community, fellow students, to share a

common ideal of going to college and working to attain

success. They want more support from the school, family, and

teachers to ensure that their academic experiences help

support their life goals, objectives.

For these students, the experience was life changing in that

it provided a clearer picture of the possibilities that exist

within their school and in college. As Tupac Shakur once wrote,

“I might not change the World, but I do believe I will spark the

mind that does” (HarvardEducation, 2010). From this experience, I

learned from the students that all I can do is remain committed,

unconditionally to supporting their goals, objectives. I have to


work tirelessly to help them figure out their world. I could make

them do nothing they did not want to do on their own. I did not

work to make the space their ideal; I based it on my own and as a

result, some did while others did not accept the space as being

their own. Although lasting relationships were made with the

students, much work remained to ensure that the space was

maintained. It’s the students turn to create their vision of what

a transformative academic afterschool space is.

IIId. Development as a Social Justice Educator: Working towards

Justice & Empowerment

This process returns me back to what we conceive as success.

The success of one student might be the failure for another. As

so, the students might not see what we might conceive as being a

noticeable improvement. As we learn from sociocultural theory,

our development is the integration of social and cultural

practices, experiences, into the academic setting: identity

matters. The teacher creates a space where the teacher and the

students are able to collaborate in a manner that intends to

deconstruct preconceived notions of power and privilege into

topics that are accessible to all the participants. Yet, in my


educational experience, seldom did teachers intend to create

dialogue that allowed for instruction where student and teacher

were able to connect within and outside of the formalities of the

classroom. Those teachers who were able to connect to me beyond

the classroom setting remain to me as examples of transformative

education: teachers whose passion and dedication was teaching.

They, as Freire (1987) noted, allowed us to see ourselves as part

of the learning experience. Through applying knowledge of

ourselves into a formal academic setting, we were able to have a

better grasp of not only our world but the language of the world

that we live in (p. 35). Yet, how is it that I was able to

“succeed” while other people I knew did not? What were the

differences between my experience and theirs?

The aforementioned teachers were few and far in between.

They gave us the tools to learn what was necessary to achieve

academically but how could we apply this knowledge in our world?

This debate continues with some of my current afterschool

students and their feeling of disconnect from the content they

are learning. The contradiction between the views of themselves

in respects to their world they live in compared to the view of


themselves in an academic setting. Throughout this process, I was

able to interact with students and ask of their academic

experience and was given some negative experiences. Their

educational experience within a classroom is marred by deficit

thinking. As a result, as an educator, I want to ensure that I

take into consideration the students, their point of view, and

create a space where they are able to see themselves in a

perspective that reflects their personal idea of themselves. How

can we create a space where the ideas of students and the teacher

synthesize into a working, communal initiative?

The class, according to Rogoff (1994), must become a

“community of learners” in order to better facilitate the

collaboration between students and teacher.

In a community of learners, children and adults

together are active in structuring the inquiry, though

usually with asymmetry of roles. Children and adults

collaborate in learning endeavours, with adults

responsible for guiding the process and children

learning to participate in the management of their own

learning (p.71).


This approach calls for reciprocity between all participants: a

form of apprenticeship defined by shared decision-making. By

establishing this initial distinction, we are able to begin to

define the terms to this working-reciprocal relationship. I was

unable to create this working relationship with students and the

fellow mentors, and therefore the strength of our shared vision

could not be completely attained. One of the fundamental

relations created by this reciprocal relationship is cognitive

apprenticeship, where teachers learn as much of the students as

the students learn from the teachers. This process entails:

The development and externalization of a producer-

critic dialogue that students can gradually

internalize. This development and externalization are

accomplished through discussion, alternation of teacher

and learner roles, and group problem solving (Collins,

Brown, & Newman, 1989).

Therefore, what this type of class advocates for is the active

participation of all parties in constantly changing roles that

allows for the all members of the class to grow communally. Yet,


how will I make sure that all participants are able and available

to partake in this type of learning community?

We must first work towards defining the world in which we

live in and develop the space based upon our common experiences.

As part of this initial inquiry is the self-discovery, the self-

definition. This process though must be a discovery that helps

students acknowledge the wealth of their experiences rather than

their deficits. As Moll (1998) explains, the “funds of knowledge

represent potentially important cultural resources for teaching,”

by “creating community” within and outside the classroom that are

intended to “mediate and personalize” the intellectual work of

schooling (p. 3). The incorporation of the students’ experiences

into the curriculum is important in the sense that it allows for

“a more dynamic, procedural, or practice interpretations of

culture” that is based on the personal rather than the

generalities of not only the teacher but the students (p. 2). It

generates critical praxis (Duncan-Andrade & Morrell, 2008). But

how can students of varying levels work within a space where

simple and complex ideas are going around and there are varying

levels of English Language comprehension?


We must acknowledge the zone of proximal development of the

individual student and how this intramental process relates to

the intermental activity of teaching and learning. The Zone of

Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978) is defined as:

The distance between the actual developmental as

determined by independent problem solving and the level

of potential development as determined through problem

solving under adult guidance or collaboration with more

capable peers (p. 86).

Mercer takes Vygotsky’s ZPD and applies more importance to the

social process of development, the Intermental Development Zone

(IDZ). As Mercer (2000) notes in his study, the IZD works to

understand the manner in which intermental (social) activities

can help develop new abilities and understanding that goes beyond

the established capabilities (pp.83-84). This is not possible

though if the teacher does not properly “scaffold” activities to

maintain minds mutually attuned. Therefore, a teacher-learner

relationship must be cognizant of the varying levels of language

comprehension and acquisition of students because if a teacher-

learner does not take into consideration every student within the


class, the idea of a community of learners begins to fall apart.

How can teachers and students work towards making sure that

everyone is part of the learning process?

Language and its effective scaffolding and modeling through

varying mediums are the key to bridging gaps of knowledge. As

Gibbons (2009) notes in her book, “Language plays a central role

in any intellectual activity, and using it effectively in

reading, writing, and speaking is central to learning and to

demonstrating learning” (p. 29). Language and its varying forms

of demonstrations create connections not only with the subject

matter but also with the teachers. Gibbons continues by noting

that students must create a “metalanguage,” a language to talk

about language in a classroom setting in order for students and

teacher alike to be able to communicate ideas about readings,

writings, and dialogues that might occur in a classroom setting

(p. 29). This is important because the students are able to voice

their ideas and concerns, but more than that, it allows for a

connection that is grounded on a mutual understanding of a

particular language. Just as they do on a daily basis in their

particular communities of practice, a class that allows the


students to develop a communal sense of language allows their

learning to continue (Wenger, 1998). As part of this process, we

must be a sociocultural, sociohistoric mediator that understands

that language must be a process of analysis, synthesis, growth,

and understanding (Diaz & Flores, 2001). As a mediator, we

understand that the language is vital to the manner in which the

students conceive of themselves as a part of society. Their daily

usage (Experience) and application (Practice) of language creates

a sense of their identity within and outside the classroom

(Social Structure). Our attempts to bank and neglect part of

their language usage in a class setting can affect the manner in

which they interact since this might make part of what they

consider valuable (Funds of Knowledge) invaluable and, therefore,

neglect a part of themselves (Wenger, 1998). As a result, we must

be constantly cognizant of our position within the classroom and

recognize that the process of creating a community of learners is

not a idealized creation but a communal, genuine creation that is

constantly evolving to have the Intermental Development Zone

necessary for students to feel a part of the creation of the


aforementioned space. So why don’t some students succeed in

schools while others do?

Ultimately, creating a community of learners within and

outside an educational experience is necessary for a student to

succeed. Students must be able to depend on themselves as much as

anyone else because the manner in which the educational

experience is structured. Students seemingly spend as much time

with their peers and teachers as they do with other aqauintances

and family members. Creating a sense of community and a common

experience through recognizing and understanding a common

perception, ideal, objective shapes the psyche as much as any

formal, institutionalized perception, but the difficulty is to

create this sense of community. It is a convuluted process that

requires passion and dedication; time becomes of the essence only

if you the intent is to prepare students rather than cultivate

students. One of Freire’s principals is Love, and I feel that a

genuine Love for what you do can be felt by a student. It becomes

a source of support that can go beyond the classroom setting and

become a part of a student’s concept of community. Students that

succeed ultimately succeed if they are able to use what is


learned in the class and apply it in their lives, and if they are

able to facilitate working relationships and apply critical

analysis and understanding in their own words. As long as they

understand that it is vital for them to recognize the importance

of being able to continue learning and growing and never feel as

if they lack the ability to do anything, and that they have the

ability to access any possibility through informed analysis,

synthesis, growth and understanding, I believe students will

succeed. Ultimately, they are the ones who reap the benefit of

their work, not I. They are the ones who make the space, not I.

They are the ones who drive the change we want to see in our

schools, not us, and therefore we must do everything in our power

to ensure that the students can share in the process of creating

the academic spaces they envision by woking with us. Without

students, our work is pointless. Without a humanizing pedagogy,

we are creating automatons. If we seek to change the society and

its core values, we must be willing to work with our students to

create the transformative academic spaces we have idealized but

not realized.


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Appendix

Pre-survey Survey

Question Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

total

1. My community supports my development as a student

8 17 19 12 3 59

2. My family supports my development as a student

38 15 6 0 1 60

3. My school supports my development as a student.

27 23 8 0 2 60

4. Most of my teachers support my development as a student

29 24 4 3 0 60

5. Most of my peers support my development as a student.

14 21 18 5 1 59

6. This SAT programsupports my development as a student.

23 24 9 3 1 60

7. The SAT mentors support my development as a student.

30 20 7 3 0 60


8. My school prepares me to go tocollege.

29 18 5 9 0 60

9. Most of my teachers prepare meto go to college.

26 26 4 3 1 60

10. This SAT programprepares me to go to college.

27 23 6 2 2 60

11. The SAT mentors prepare me to go to college.

27 22 5 3 2 59

12. I have the knowledge and skills to go to college.

18 21 12 7 1 59

13. I have prepared myself to go to college.

13 23 13 7 4 60

Survey responses were given out of 60 responders. Questions 1, 5, 11, and 12 had one no response.

Second Survey

Question Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Total

1. My community 8 10 22 11 3 56


supports my development as a student

2. My family supports my development as a student

33 12 5 6 0 56

3. My school supports my development as a student.

23 22 4 5 2 56

4. Most of my teachers support my development as a student

24 19 6 4 3 56

5. Most of my peers support my development as a student.

11 14 20 9 2 56

6. This SAT programsupports my development as a student.

17 23 10 4 2 56

7. The SAT mentors support my development as a student.

22 20 6 6 2 56

8. My school prepares me to go tocollege.

26 13 8 5 3 55

9. Most of my teachers prepare meto go to college.

26 19 6 3 2 56

10. This SAT programprepares me to go to college.

23 19 5 6 3 56

11. The SAT mentors prepare me to go to college.

22 18 10 4 2 56


12. I have the knowledge and skills to go to college.

16 22 15 2 1 56

13. I have prepared myself to go to college.

14 24 19 2 2 56

Survey responses were given out of 56 responders. Question 8 had one no response.

Your Name: Roberto Rodriguez SaavedraDate and Time of Lesson: Tuesday and Thursday, 4-6pm

Title: SAT Passage-Based Reading Grade Level:11th Grade

Number of Students: 2-5Standards6:

Objectives7

Students will learn and apply the strategies for the Three Methods of Answering PBR Questions (Literal Comprehension, Vocabulary in Context, Extended Reasoning) by using the SAT prep book to review and practice questions.

6Include both the number and wording of the standard.7 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do(Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.


Assessment 8 Formative Assessments:

How confident are you with reading from 1 to 5: 1 being it’s hard for me, 5 being super confident

Co-Creating Methods to working through Passage-Based Reading Guided Practice through a Passage-Based Reading 3 things you learned, 2 questions you have, 1 thing you need

clarification onSummative Assessments:

Practice Passage-Based Reading and go through responses

Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special NeedsStudents will write down as well as verbalize the methods to contextualizing passage-based reading questions in the SAT. I will model the structure they should write their methods in and work with them to put the methods in their words. Students will have guided practice in order to facilitate how to apply learned methods in a practical manner that will help them get a comparative analysis of how to work through a response.Materials and ResourcesSAT Prep Blue BookWhiteboard & MarkersSheet of Lined-PaperInstructional Sequence (strategies and learning tasks) 9 Consider the following as applicable:

Introduction, hook and explanation for students of the purpose ofthe lesson (_3_ minutes): Set up the notes and the material we will cover.

Accessing prior knowledge/building on previous learning (_7_ minutes): Check the level of confidence on the subject and if they know any methods to tackling these form of questions.

Teacher involvement (modeling, demonstration, explanation, facilitating discussion, conferencing, etc) (_10_ minutes) Going

8 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during the lesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?9 The sequence will vary and should be flexible.


over the methods collectively and co-constructing how to approachpassage-based reading. After students independently practice passage based reading, we will discuss our responses and how we came to our conclusion providing additional methods to tackling these types of questions and the reading.

Active student involvement (exploration, guided practice, discussion, cooperative learning, etc) (__25_ minutes) Cooperatively learn to use the methods in guidedpractice then independently practice the use of the methods. We will discuss our responses and how we understood the passage and the question.

Grouping during each phase of the lesson (independent, partner, small group)

Closure10 (_5_ minutes) 3-2-1 exit slips to assess learning and discuss any clarifications they might still need.Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 11 As we go through the methods to tackling passage-based reading, Iwill gauge the students understanding of the method by having them put into their own words the method and having them co-create their responses.As we do guided practice, I will provide them additional methods to use in their reading in order get a better understanding of what they read; the intent is to give them more tools to help construct a deeper analysis of the text.After they do independent practice, we will go over responses andcollectively understand why we chose our responses and work to understand how to use our learned methods to tackle the questions.321 exit slips will work to gauge what they learned from the lesson and see what they require as it relates to clarifying parts of the lesson for them. This section might be difficult due to the low reading comprehension that students are perceived to have and so I will have to scaffold much of the reading for them to access the logicof reading and use critical comprehension to access not only the reading but the questions provided.

10 Identify how you will conclude this segment of the lesson.11 How will you adjust the lesson if necessary?


Procedural Sequence 12 1. Set up Notes for Passage-Based Reading2. Checking for Prior Knowledge on Passage-Based Reading3. Methods for Tackling Passage-based Reading4. Guided practice5. Independent Practice6. Review and Discuss Responses7. 3-2-1 Exit Slip

Reflection after the lesson 13

Your Name: Roberto Rodriguez Saavedra Date and Time of Lesson:Tuesday and Thursday 4-6pm Title: SAT Algebra I Grade Level: 11th Grade Number of Students: 2-5

Standards14:

Objectives15

Students will apply their knowledge of Functions, Simplifying Algebraic Expressions & Absolute Values using an SAT prep worksheet and their SAT prep book to review and practice problems; will complete a 3-2-1- exit slip to check for understanding.

Assessment 16 12 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.13 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson? 14Include both the number and wording of the standard.15 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.16 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?


Formative Assessments: How confident are you with algebra from 1 to 5:

1 being it’s hard for me, 5 being super confident Review responses and discuss methods to doing the problems 3-2-1 Exit Slip

Summative Assessments: Independent practice on SAT Worksheet Independent practice on SAT Blue Book

Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special NeedsWe will review problems as group and work them out using whiteboards; students will explain their responses to their fellow students.

Materials and ResourcesStudent WorksheetsSAT prep bookWhiteboards and Markers

Instructional Sequence (strategies and learning tasks) 17 Consider the following as applicable:

Introduction, hook and explanation for students of the purpose ofthe lesson (_3_ minutes)

Accessing prior knowledge/building on previous learning (_7_ minutes) Independent Practice of Problems

Teacher involvement (modeling, demonstration, explanation, facilitating discussion, conferencing, etc) (_15_ minutes) Reviewand Discuss Problems and the method to approach the response

Active student involvement (exploration, guided practice, discussion, cooperative learning, etc) (__25_ minutes) Practice, Review and Discuss Problems. Independent Practice in SAT prep book


Closure18 (_5_ minutes)

17 The sequence will vary and should be flexible. 18 Identify how you will conclude this segment of the lesson.


Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 19 As the students do independent practice, I will monitor how they respond to the questions and work through the responses. I will use this as a means of gauging how confident they are in responding to increasingly harder responses. As we review our responses, I will have students correct their responses and copy the step by step process of answering the questions provided. The321 exit slip will check how they understood the lesson and will work to clarify anything that students had difficulty understanding. For most students, math is not seen as a strength so I will have to work with them to create the space where they feel confident in trying problems and making mistakes.

Procedural Sequence 20 1. Assessing Understanding of Algebra2. Independent Practice using an SAT worksheet3. Review and Discuss Answers4. Independent Practice using SAT prep book5. Review and Discuss Answers



Title: SAT Algebra III Grade Level: 11th Grade Number of Students: 2-5 StudentsStandards22

Objectives23

19 How will you adjust the lesson if necessary? 20 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.21 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson? 22Include both the number and wording of the standard.23 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.


Students will apply their knowledge of Functions, Simplifying Algebraic Expressions & Absolute Values using an SAT prep worksheet and their SAT prep book to review and practice problems.Students will practice their knowledge of Proportions, Variables on Number Lines, Algebraic Word Problems using the SAT prep book and a worksheet to review and practice problems.

Assessment 24 Summative Assessments:

How confident are you with Math, particularly Algebra from 1 to 5:1 being it’s hard for me, 5 being I’m super confident

Review responses and discuss methods to doing problems Exit Slip: What was the biggest take away you got from today’s

lesson? Do you have any questions or clarifications regarding thelesson?Formative Assessments:

Independent practice on SAT Worksheet Independent practice on SAT Blue Book

Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special NeedsWe will review problems as a group and work them out using whiteboards; students will explain their responses to their fellow students.

Materials and ResourcesStudent WorksheetsSAT prep bookWhiteboards and Markers


24 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?25 The sequence will vary and should be flexible.



Accessing prior knowledge/building on previous learning (_7_ minutes) Independent Practice of Problems

Teacher involvement (modeling, demonstration, explanation, facilitating discussion, conferencing, etc) (_15_ minutes) Reviewand Discuss Problems and the method to approach the response

Active student involvement (exploration, guided practice, discussion, cooperative learning, etc) (_25_ minutes) Practice, Review and Discuss Problems. IndependentPractice in SAT prep book



Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 27 As the students do independent practice, I will monitor how they respond to the questions and work through the responses. I will use this as a means of gauging how confident they are in responding to increasingly harder responses. As we review our responses, I will have students correct their responses and copy the step by step process of answering the questions provided. The321 exit slip will check how they understood the lesson and will work to clarify anything that students had difficulty understanding. From the previous lesson, I learned that students do not like math, not because of the difficulty of it, but due more to their negative experience with it and the frustration they felt when they could not develop a proper response. Many of my students are barely in Geometry since they took Algebra I in 9th and Algebra II in 10th so learning that algebra is a big part of the exam provides some confidence for the students.

Procedural Sequence 28 6. Assessing Understanding of Algebra7. Independent Practice using an SAT worksheet

26 Identify how you will conclude this segment of the lesson.27 How will you adjust the lesson if necessary? 28 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.


8. Review and Discuss Answers9. Independent Practice using SAT prep book10. Review and Discuss Answers



Title: College Majors, Careers and Funding Grade Level:11th Grade

Number of Students: 2-5 StudentsStandards30

Objectives31

Students will complete a Holland’s Personality Test, pair-share, and use their coding to look over majors they want to or might want to study using a college major sheet.Students will search for scholarships using different scholarshipsearch engines, share one scholarship they found for themselves, and discuss how to apply for the scholarship.

Assessment 32 Summative:

What college would you like to attend? What would you like to study? Why would you like to study that and why that college in particular? If you don’t know, what are some reasons that you feel you don’t know?

Review Personality Test and discuss the possible majors they might want and be able to study based on the Test. Does the Test reflect the student’s initial career orientation and preference?

Exit Slip:

29 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson? 30Include both the number and wording of the standard.31 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.32 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?


Formative: Holland’s Personality Test. Search for scholarships using different search engines Chose one to apply to based on their personal preference and have

them work to attain the scholarship

Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs

Materials and ResourcesStudent HandbooksStudent Packets with Holland’s Personality TestComputer and AndroidMALDEF Resource Packet



Accessing prior knowledge/building on previous learning (_7_ minutes)

Teacher involvement (modeling, demonstration, explanation, facilitating discussion, conferencing, etc) (_15_ minutes)

Active student involvement (exploration, guided practice, discussion, cooperative learning, etc) (_25_ minutes)



Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 35 As the students work on the personality test, I will review theirreaction as they circle their responses and after we review theirmajors versus those that they are being told to consider, we willdiscuss agency and how we define our goals and objectives. We will go into searching for scholarships not only for this year

33 The sequence will vary and should be flexible. 34 Identify how you will conclude this segment of the lesson.35 How will you adjust the lesson if necessary?


but the next to prepare students to know where to search for scholarships and how to get the information necessary to get them. Their view of college is a possibility but as a foreign process due to the fact most students will be the first of their families to go to a college or university.

Procedural Sequence 36 1. Collegiate Plans and Expectations2. Holland’s Personality Test3. Possible Majors versus Preferred Majors4. Searching for Scholarships based on Preference5. Attaining a Scholarship



Title: Multiple Choice Writing Grade Level: 11th Grade


Objectives39

Students will engage the lesson using an SAT prep app to answer random questions on Wordiness, Identifying Sentence Errors, and Parallelism.

Students will learn and apply their knowledge of Wordiness, Identifying Sentence Errors, and Parallelism using the SAT prep book; will check for understanding using 3-2-1 exit slip.Assessment 40 36 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.37 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson? 38Include both the number and wording of the standard.39 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.40 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?


Summative Assessments: Review the Multiple Choice writing Section (Read, Write,

Verbalize, Clarify) Look over question types and apply proper method (Group) 3-2-1 exit slip

Formative Assessments: Practice Different types of Writing section questions.

Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special NeedsWe will write down the methods for each question type. We will goover the structure of the question types to be able to see how these questions are written. Then, we will apply the proper method to the particular question type first as a group then independently. Materials and ResourcesWhiteboard and MarkersPassage Based reading posterSAT Prep bookInstructional Sequence (strategies and learning tasks) 41 Consider the following as applicable:







Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 43 Based on difficulties with reading comprehension, I have added the point of reading out the sentence for students to be able to



hear the mistakes in sentences and also be able to identify the reasoning behind mistakes in sentences. By having guided practicefollowed by independent practice, I intend for them to apply learned methods to their independent practice and review their responses for them to support each others’ academic development. I will use the passage-based poster to connect methods applied inthe writing section with those in the passage based reading questions. The intent is to demonstrate to students that there are methods that can applied not only in this section with these sets of questions but also with those in the Passage based questions.Procedural Sequence 44

1. Accessing knowledge of multiple-choice writing section2. Going over each type of question: Sentence Errors, Parallelism,

and Wordiness:a. Guided Practiceb. Method for each type of questionc. Guided Practiced. Independent Practicee. Review3. Review of Multiple-Choice Writing Section4. 3-2-1 Exit Slip


44 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.45 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson?



Title: Passage Based Reading I Grade Level: 11th Grade


Objectives47

Students will review Categorizing Question Types and the 5 Types of PBR Questions using their SAT Prep books and their student handbooks to practice how to rationalize through their responses;will check for understanding using the 3-2-1 exitAssessment 48 Summative Assessments:

Formative Assessments:Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special NeedsWe will write down the methods for each question type. We will goover the structure of the question types to be able to see how these questions are written. Then, we will apply the proper method to the particular question type first as a group then independently.

Materials and ResourcesWhiteboard and MarkersPoster paper and MarkersSAT prep bookStudent handbooksInstructional Sequence (strategies and learning tasks) 49 Consider the following as applicable:

46Include both the number and wording of the standard.47 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.48 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?49 The sequence will vary and should be flexible.








Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 51 Since the point of the lesson is for students to be able to develop a cognitive connection between the 5 types of questions and methods to use for each type of question, I will monitor the students’ ability to correctly categorize each type of question and then properly respond to the question. The intent is for students to develop confidence in deciphering the kind of question and applying learned logic to their responses. This is intended in developing the critical comprehension that some students have a difficulty accessing due to the limited ask and response method they are use to. My goal is for students to be able to provide me the reasoning behind their response by the endof the lesson.Procedural Sequence 52

1. Accessing Knowledge of Passage-Based Reading2. 5 types of PBR Questions: Categorization Activity3. PBR Question Golden Line Activity4. Categorization Guided Practice5. Application Guided Practice6. Independent Categorization and Application Independent Practice7. Review and Discuss Responses

50 Identify how you will conclude this segment of the lesson.51 How will you adjust the lesson if necessary? 52 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.


8. 3-2-1 Exit SlipReflection after the lesson 53


Title: Geometry Grade Level: 11th Grade Number of Students:2-6 studentsStandards54

Objectives55

Students will review and apply their knowledge of Line Relationships, Pythagoras Theorem, Circles, Triangles, and Rectangles using their SAT prep book and a worksheet; will check for understanding using the 3-2-1 exit slip.

Assessment 56 Formative:-Geometry Worksheet: As a group we will go over what the Geometrysection entails through the use of a worksheet and have them workon the given problems individually and review as a group.-Review what the Geometry section entails.Summative:-Practice and Explain Problem: Student will be given a problem and will have to explain the problem to her/his fellow group matesStrategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special NeedsStudents will be provided white boards and different color markers to explain problems. We will use the learned methods of GUESS and DOGS to practice systematically working on problems by 53 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson? 54Include both the number and wording of the standard.55 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.56 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?


applying a step by step scaffolded instruction. By working collaboratively, I will apply novice, expert metacognitive group work to have students access each other’s strengths and use theirproblem solving skills to support each others work. Materials and ResourcesWhiteboards and MarkersSAT prep booksGeometry Handout





Active student involvement (exploration, guided practice, discussion, cooperative learning, etc) (__28__ minutes)



Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 59 As the students work on the problems I will observe how they tackle the problems and observe the methods they use to get theirresponse. I will observe how they work to respond to my questionsand their ability to explain their responses. If they have difficulty providing a response, I will give wait time for students to develop a response to provide their fellow group mates. The point of the lesson is to be able to apply the proper methods and critical comprehension of the problems in this section to carry into their examination. This section might be difficult for some students due to them barely taking some of



these concepts in their courses as well as the facvt that many students do not feel particularly confident with mathematics.Procedural Sequence 60

1. Overview: How comfortable are you with Geometrya. 1: it’s easy, 5: it’s super hard2. Geometry Worksheet (Guided Practice)3. Practice and Explain Problem (Independent Practice)4. Review Geometry



Title: Data, Statistics, and Probability Grade Level: 11th Grade Number of Students: 2-6 studentsStandards62

Objectives63

Students will review and apply their knowledge of Mean, Median, Mode, and Average Formula using their SAT prep book and a worksheet; will check for understanding using the 3-2-1 exit slip.

Assessment 64 Formative:Overview and Review what the Data, Statistics, and Probability section entail.Data, Statistics, and Probability Worksheet: We will review the sheet as a group, work on the problems individually, and review our responses as a group.60 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.61 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson? 62Include both the number and wording of the standard.63 Identify what students will know (Informational Knowledge) and be able to do (Procedural Knowledge) as a result of this lesson.64 (Formative, summative, formal, informal). At one or more points during thelesson, and at the end of the lesson, how will you know that students have achieved the learning objective(s)?


Summative:Practice and Explain: Students will be given a problem and will explain their response to their fellow group matesStrategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs

Materials and Resources


Introduction, hook and explanation for students of the purpose ofthe lesson (_3__ minutes)

Accessing prior knowledge/building on previous learning (_7__ minutes)





Monitoring and responding to student learning/understanding 67 As the students work on the problems I will observe how they tackle the problems and observe the methods they use to get theirresponse. I will observe how they work to respond to my questionsand their ability to explain their responses. If they have difficulty providing a response, I will give wait time for students to develop a response to provide their fellow group mates. The point of the lesson is to be able to apply the proper methods and critical comprehension of the problems in this section to carry into their examination. This section requires students to apply plenty of logic that is not usually taught in



their curriculum so this section might be difficult for some students especially those who lack confidence in math.

Procedural Sequence 68 1. Overview: what is Data, Statistics, and Probability2. Data, Statistics, and Probability Worksheet (Guided Practice)3. Practice and Explain Problems (Independent Practice)4. Review & Farewell


Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

68 Consider your strategies for: transitions, distributing and collecting materials, selecting groups, ensuring equity when calling on students, etc.69 Consider teaching and student learning with respect to both content and academic language development. What is working? What is not? For whom? Why?How does this reflection inform what you plan to do in the next lesson?



Final Survey

Instructions: Please respond to these statements anonymously:Write on the back or a separate sheet of paper if necessary

1) Do you see yourself going to college? Why or why not

2) What are traits or characteristics that you think are important for going to college? List up to 3 and why1)

2)

3)

3) What are reasons why you or others have been unable to attend the SAT preparation sessions afterschool? List up to 3 reasons1)

2)

3)

4) How can your academic experience be improved to be ready for college?


Conference Survey

What did you find valuable about the Youth Conference? Why?

What would you take from this Youth Conference and share back with fellow students?

What would you like to know more about?


After this experience do you feel more confident about going to college? Why or why not?

Infinite Possibilities

Documents