| The purpose of the this study is to determine if charter high schools that integrate the middle college model offer minority male students an educational environment that promotes a culture of achievement, increases student resiliency, and nurtures academic aspirations. Specifically, the following research questions were addressed: (1) Does a public high school that operates under the charter school concept and whose educational objectives embrace the middle college model adequately promote a culture of achievement for the minority male students attending such schools? (2) Does a public high school that operates under the charter school concept and whose educational objectives embrace the middle college model provide additional support to help increase the resiliency of minority male students? (3) Does a public high school that operates under the charter school concept and whose educational objectives embrace the middle college model nurture minority male students' academic aspirations? The research study of Greenville Technical Charter High School consisted of five samples. The first sample included 25 currently enrolled minority male students. The second sample included ten former minority male students. The third sample included eight charter high school and two Greenville Technical College instructors. The fourth sample included the charter high school's principal, the Greenville Technical College's president, two high school advisors and one early college advisor. Finally, the fifth sample included one Greenville Technical Charter High School Board of Director member, three current charter high school parents and two former charter high school parents.Focus groups and individual participant interviews served as the basic method of data gathering for the study along with additional data found on the charter high school's web page, charter high school's annual State report cards, previous research studies conducted on the charter high school, and the Greenville Technical College Student Handbook. Interviews were held between April 2008 and June 2008, with the exception of two interviews, which were both held in November 2005. Interviews were then transcribed and evaluated for common themes and responses to the research questions.The results indicate that a culture of achievement for minority male students was promoted by establishing and maintaining a small, personalized academic and social environment. Resiliency of minority male students was increased by establishing high academic standards and providing the social resources and external support systems needed to achieve those standards, and enabling students to enroll and be successful in college courses while still in high school. Finally, minority male students' aspirations were enhanced by placing them on a college campus, being able to earn college credits while in high school (thereby reducing the number of credit hours they needed to earn while in college), and being actively involved in community service (thereby becoming more aware of careers of which they otherwise would not be cognizant). |
