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Recommended: Racial disparities in the US educational system

Introduction The purpose of the modern educational system is to educate all students regardless of ethnicity, race, religious affiliations, gender, socioeconomic status, etc, into becoming productive citizens of the United States of America (Archung, 2006). As a portion of the purpose statement for the modern public educational system is the process of socialization; preparing our students for the dynamically changing world they will inherit, and for challenges of tomorrow that are unforeseen (Archung, 2006). In addition to the standard definitive definition of the purpose of the educational process, since post Civil Rights, roughly 60 years ago, and the desegregation of public schools in the United States, much research has been conducted to address educational gaps within the system between African American student learners and their Caucasian counterparts (Clotfelter, 2004). Above all other elements of diversity, namely socioeconomic, religious, gender/sexual orientation, the issue which receives the majority of debate is that which exists between black and white students in public schools. To further the argument, and build upon the premise of the purpose of the educational system, which is to educate all students and prepare them for the modern world, the demographics of the United States too is also in a constant state of change (Pollard & Jacobsen, 2011). Data collected from the 2010 United States census illustrated a paradigm shift in the racial composition of the United States. One of the regions in question, Central Appalachia, a region composed states such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, portions of Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, as well as the northern portions of Mississippi, Alabama, and G... ... middle of paper ... ... freshman college retention. This qualitative research proposal will employ the use of the Exploratory Design as its research method. In addition the participants will include those who are identified as racial minorities, African American, ranging from grades 9-12 as well as first year freshmen enrolled in surrounding select universities located in schools in the region in question, Central Appalachia. The Exploratory Design was selected for its investigative nature into phenomenon which are either issue which have yet to be explored or require additional research (Cresswell, 2014). In addition, the method and design were both chosen for the purpose of exposing and gaining insights into the issue at hand, addressing the academic achievement gaps between African American student learners and their counterparts (Caucasian) student learners in Central Appalachia.

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