Newswise — A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill social work professor has received a $6.2 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to develop and analyze ways to combat academic underachievement problems for minority boys.
"The problems of boys of color represent one of the most significant challenges we face as a nation," said Dr. Oscar Barbarin, the L. Richardson and Emily Preyer bicentennial distinguished professor for strengthening families in the School of Social Work. "Many communities have expressed concern and some are attempting to address the problem, but most of these efforts are limited in focus and do not address the full array of systems that contribute to the problems.
The five-year grant will support the Promote Academic Success (PAS) Initiative, which builds on Barbarin's previous research on educational outcomes and achievement gap issues for young African-American and Latino children. The project's goals are to mobilize and support partnerships among Head Start, public schools, families and community agencies to focus on and improve the academic and social development of boys of color between 3 and 8 years old. The researchers will identify and report the most promising multi-systemic (family, school, community) interventions.
Studies have shown that achievement gap problems for boys of color begin in early childhood, Barbarin said. They face significant challenges with respect to academic achievement and socio-emotional adjustment. Consequently, their prospects for reaching adulthood with the skills needed to participate in society are severely diminished. This not only represents a significant problem for boys and their families but also imposes significant costs to society, he said.
The PAS Initiative will identify three to five communities nationwide that have demonstrated readiness to address achievement gap issues. Community selection will be based on several factors including population size and the existence of current partnerships between school districts, families and community organizations. Once the PAS program has identified partnering communities, it will assist all groups involved in designing and implementing interventions within families, classrooms and communities that fit with local circumstances and resources.
"Our work will be guided by the metaphor of a four-legged stool in which each leg represents what children need to thrive: effective parents, competent teachers, supportive communities and a spiritual foundation," Barbarin said. "If one of the legs is wobbly the others can compensate until the weak leg is strengthened. It is an ambitious undertaking but I am enthusiastic and feel that it is one of the most worthy enterprises to devote my life to."
The award is the Kellogg Foundation's largest grant to Carolina to date. Marvin McKinney, program director for youth and education with the Kellogg Foundation, said "Usually we don't make grants of this size; however, we saw this as an opportunity to build upon work we have already started with young children at different sites around the country."
RSS