By: Edith G. Arrington, Diane M. Hall, and Howard C. Stevenson
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS — at the request of concerned independent school educators, and with funding from independent schools and a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health — we've conducted extensive research1 on the experiences of African-American students in independent schools (see sidebar at the bottom of this page for the genesis of this project). Based on this research — which we've named the Success of African-American Students (SAAS) in Independent Schools project — there are three main points we would like to share about the experience of black students in independent schools:
1. Promoting black students' connection to the school community and their emotional health is key to their academic success.
2. Schools not only socialize students academically, they also socialize students racially.
3. The experience of racism is a reality for black youth that can compromise the quality of their school experience and tax their emotional resources.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND SUCCESS IN SCHOOL We begin with our assertion that promoting black students' connection to the school community and their emotional health is key to their academic success. Our research (here and elsewhere) indicates that, for black students, success is best defined by a strong sense of connection to the school community; a positive sense of self across contexts, but especially in the school; social and emotional health; and a racial identity that would serve as a resource as they develop, but particularly when students encounter racism. In our interviews with students for the SAAS project, it was also clear that their experiences in these areas varied. When we measured the students' self-esteem across the home, school, and peer contexts — all three areas being important contexts of socialization for youth — students reported above average levels of self-esteem in all areas with the highest levels of self-esteem reported in the home environment. There was a statistically significant difference2 between the students' selfesteem at home and at school, with school self-esteem being lower.
75% of the students said they had to make special efforts to fit into their school communities;
82% reported that they had had negative experiences at their schools; and
40% did not believe that the school treated all students the same.
Students assessed the climate of their schools by responding to a number of questions about learning satisfaction, teacher support, school fit, and perceived quality of education. On average, student responses to the school climate questions were positive. For example, a clear majority reported that they had social and cultural opportunities at their schools (64 percent) and that they were satisfied with the quality of education they received at their school (85 percent). Fifty-six percent said that teachers care for students, and an overwhelming majority said that the education they received at their schools would prepare them for college and life (91 percent). Yet, while student responses to most of the school climate questions were positive, there were statistically significant differences between the students' reports of school fit and their reports of learning satisfaction, teacher support, and quality of education, such that reported school fit was lower than students' reports in any of the other areas. Three-quarters of the students said they had to make special efforts to fit into their school communities; 82 percent reported that they had had negative experiences at their schools; and 40 percent did not believe that the school treated all students the same. When we explored the students' psychological sense of school membership (PSSM), the results were similar to what was found with school climate. PSSM is the extent to which students feel that they belong in their school and are deemed to be respected and contributing members of the community. The average response of students in regard to PSSM was moderately high. For example, 70 percent of the students reported that there was a teacher or adult they could talk to in the school, 72 percent reported that other students liked them the way they were, and 82 percent believed that people in the school knew that they were capable of doing good work. Similar to the school climate results, while black students' overall PSSM was moderately high, there were areas in which their connection to the school community was not strong at all. Sixtyseven percent reported that they had, at one time or another, wished they were in a different school, 70 percent believed that it was hard for people like them to be accepted at their school, and 62 percent thought they did not belong in their school.
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