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The Urban Review

, Volume 50, Issue 4, pp 675–692 | Cite as

Modeling Resilience in an Alternative Education Context

  • Dawn X. Henderson
  • Kevin Washington
  • Sahran Hamit
  • Sarah J. Ford
  • Kierra Jenkins
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Black and Latino students and the educators who serve as their advocates must be resilient in a highly contentious and racialized public education system. Modeling resilience in the public education system relies on individual assets and the extent to which one’s school possesses the resources and support needed to cultivate such assets. This study used interviews and site observations to explore the degree to which educators and students model resilience in an alternative education program. Findings suggest educators engage a sense of agency when they advocate for inclusion of Black and Latino students. In addition, an alternative education context can provide resources and cultivate strong relationships, a sense of self-efficacy and future orientation among educators and students. These findings highlight the assets educators and advocates need and the programs required to promote resilience in the public education system.

Keywords

Alternative education Educators Resilience African American Latino students 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

This authors seek to acknowledge the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school district, Winston-Salem State University’s Research Initiative Program, and the Society for Community Research and Action for support and funding. The authors would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Dazzmen Davis and Kenyatta Dawson for their preliminary work in conducting a review of the literate and analysis.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dawn X. Henderson
    • 1
  • Kevin Washington
    • 2
  • Sahran Hamit
    • 2
  • Sarah J. Ford
    • 3
  • Kierra Jenkins
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PsychologyNorth Carolina A&T State UniversityGreensboroUSA
  2. 2.Department of Human Development and Psychoeducational StudiesHoward UniversityWashingtonUSA
  3. 3.Department of PsychologyFlorida A&M UniversityTallahasseeUSA

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