Dr. Gilda Martinez
Towson University
Towson, MD
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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Children growing up in poverty can succeed in school, despite
disadvantages of not living in higher-level economic areas.
 Many are able to succeed in school and beyond, going to college,
pursuing higher degrees, etc. (Averett & Rodriguez, 2003).

The question many people ask is,
“How did they do it?”

Joyce Epstein and her colleagues have been working on this
question for many years and have found three main categories
that seem to help students succeed – home, school, and
community partnerships (Epstein & Sanders, 2002).
 This study aims to extend this research by investigating these three
areas, along with additional areas that may have contributed to
student success, in order to help future generations of students
succeed regardless of their economic backgrounds.
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
How do students from low-socioeconomic
areas succeed in school?

Who and/or what helps them succeed
academically?

What has the biggest impact toward their
success in school and in later life?
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
To organize this study, a case study protocol was developed and
followed closely.

Yin recommends the development of a case study protocol, which
is a carefully constructed outline of the steps involved in a case
study.

This study’s protocol contained the rationale, research questions,
target audience, conceptual/theoretical background, procedure,
analysis plan, consent form, survey, and interview questions.

It was created and closely followed by the researcher in order to
provide structure and to enable other researchers to repeat the
same procedures and yield similar results (Yin, 1994).
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
The youth involved in this study are
African-American students from
low-socioeconomic areas throughout the United
States. The students received a full college
scholarship through the Ron Brown Scholar
Program, and attended universities such as
Cornell, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Yale.

In order to receive this scholarship, students
submit essays, grades, information about school
related activities, and their financial status.
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
Fifty of the essays were carefully selected as
models by the Executive Director of the
program, Michael A. Mallory, for publication
in the book I Have Risen. The essays discuss
the students’ environment growing up and/or
why they wanted to pursue a college degree.

The students in this multiple-case study are
the 50 students whose essays were
selected.
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
Age: College Graduates (~25 years old)

Gender: 25 males / 25 females

Race: African-Americans

Current location: In several states across the
U.S.
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
A multiple-case study is an instrumental case
study extended to several cases. It allows the
researcher to examine a number of
“representative” cases, which supplies the
researcher with data to demonstrate
similarities or differences that may exist
between cases, and as a result, to gain
deeper understanding of a given
phenomenon (Stake, 2000).
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
Essays

Surveys

SAT scores

Interviews

The process of relying on numerous sources of
data, data triangulation, helps the researcher
generate more valid and robust descriptions and
explanations (Stake, 2000).
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
The essays were coded to study similarities
and differences noted among these
students, and compared to identify
overriding themes to reveal
merits/shortcomings among and between
individual cases (Flick, 2002).

Key words included: home, school,
community, role models, extracurricular
activities, hope
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
The survey was created by the researcher
and focused on home, school, and
community connections

A focus group (administrators from the Ron
Brown Scholar Program) reviewed the survey
questions to ensure they would help in
answering this study’s research questions
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 The survey asked: How important were the
following in making who you are today?
 The survey responses were on a Likert scale,
where 1 was very significant and 5 was not
significant
 An area for comments was provided and stated:
Others? Please explain what had the biggest
impact on your life’s success.
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The survey asked:
How important were the following in making who you are today?
 Parents/caregivers
 Communication from home to school
 Communication from school to home
 Having your parents/caregivers volunteer at your school
 Learning at home
 Having parents/caregivers participate in your school activities
 Having parents/caregivers participate in your community activities
 Community centers
 Public libraries
 School libraries
 Internet
 Media
 Others? Please explain what had the biggest impact on your life’s
success.
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
The survey responses were scored and the
totals were averaged

The averages are reported for each
response based all students, then
segregated by males and females

The responses were studied to unveil further
questions, which would be asked during the
interviews
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
SAT scores were reviewed and averaged for
the group of 50 participants

Similarities and differences between students
were noted

Possible correlations between their SAT
scores and their essays were analyzed
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
Semi-structured interviews took place after
the survey results and SAT scores were
examined, in order to aid in creating an even
thicker description of how these students
succeeded in life.

The interview questions were also reviewed
by the same focus group of administrators,
who reviewed the survey questions.
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
The interview questions delved deeper into specific
questions the researcher had based on the survey
results and SAT scores.

Examples of questions include:




How did the Internet/media/libraries help you succeed?
How did you prepare for the SAT exam?
What would you recommend to help students succeed?
How has the quality of your life changed as a result of your
education?
 Are you happy as a result of your education?
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
The top six reasons these students succeeded are
listed by order of importance based on the survey
data collected:
 Parents/caregivers
 Learning at home
 Public libraries
 School libraries
 Internet
 Media
The essays and interviews also supported these findings.
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
Based on the comment section of the
survey, and also supported through the
essays and interviews, other important
factors that aided in their success:
 role models
 mentors
 extracurricular activities
 religion
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
The results indicated that parents/caregivers
were the most important element in these
students’ lives.

Having a parent or caregiver that believed in
them, expected success, supported them, and
encouraged them to continue with their
academic careers was rated number one, as the
most important factor that contributed to the
academic success in their lives.
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“Baby, I want you to go on…and do us all proud like I
know you can do. Now, I know you love your old
grandma, but I don’t want you to worry about me,
‘cause whatever happens to me rests in the capable
hands of the Lord. Ever since the day you were
born, I have worked hard to see this day…to see you
go on to a better life and become a young man by
taking hold of your future and getting a good
education. And son, the only way you can
disappoint me is not by leaving me, but by letting
my hard work go up in smoke” (Fix, 2006, p. 20).
Her grandson is studying government at
Harvard University.
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
Conversely, some parents did not find it
necessary for their children to go to college
because they were:
 afraid of the unknown, or
 they did not value education
This was noted in student essays and through
survey comments.
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Students did not believe home-school
communications were important because they simply
were not occurring, therefore had no impact on their
success.
 Having parents/caregivers volunteer in school or
participate in school activities also did not occur thus
was perceived as unimportant.

 This contradicts previous research about the importance
of these particular areas. However, this does not discount
previous research because it is known that the more
home-school communication that occurs, the more
chances for academic success (Epstein, 2001; Henderson &
Mapp, 2002).
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
Libraries follow parents and caregivers in the
ranking. Students said that having had
early exposure to books, having people
(teachers and librarians) motivate them
about reading, and having access to print
allowed them the capability of becoming
avid readers, which correlated, in their
opinion, with their ability to comprehend
texts and information presented in school.
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
When explaining “What had the biggest
impact on your life’s success?”, one student
said,
“I’m sure that an early introduction to, and
fascination with books had a great deal to do
with it [life’s success].”
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

Having read many books also helped enhance
their vocabulary.
Their choice of exquisite words, such as
transmogrified, assiduous,
depravity, insular, and vestige,
in the essays submitted for the Ron Brown
Scholarship and their verbal SAT scores,
which averaged 700 out of a possible 800,
also indicated that they were exposed to,
learned, and used rich vocabulary.
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
Some students also included inspirational
quotes from books they had read, into their
essays. For example,
“The truth is the light and the light is the truth”
was one such quote included from
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (Fix, 2006, p. 48).
This student is studying political science and
broadcast journalism at Florida A&M University.
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
The Internet played an important role as well
because it provided them with a database of
endless resources and materials to read,
learn, and become knowledgeable about
regardless of their current situations.

Many claimed to have used the Internet at
the public library.
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
The sixth element, media, was indeed
important because having role models, in
particular African-American role models (i.e.;
teachers, physicians, attorneys, business
professionals), helped them want to attend
college and create those scenarios for
themselves.
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
Through their essays, many students expressed a high interest in
turning their negative situations around, not wanting to continue in
the negative environment that surrounded them on a daily basis.
One student said,
“The man does not have a stable job. He has missed his son’s awards
and experiences. The last time he saw any of his children was about
four years ago. The man is my father…Ironically, he is also my
source of inspiration” (Fix, 2006, p. 56).

Through media, however, this student was able to witness how
others came out of negative situations and had been able to
succeed; or, had observed African-Americans as leaders.
This student is at Georgia Tech University studying engineering.
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
On the other hand, some students thought what they
saw on television did not happen in reality. It was too
good to be true. For example, one student explained
how he began making friends with “white middle
class” students from his school, and was invited to a
friend’s house,
“The first time I walked into the house of one of my
new friends I saw a clean carpet, pristine white walls,
parquet floors, plump furniture, and his smiling
mother in the spotless kitchen, preparing an afterschool snack. Before walking into that house I
thought such lives existed only on the television” (Fix,
2006, p. 36).
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
He continued the discussion comparing his new friend’s
home environment to his own in a hotel,
“While I enjoyed my new friends, I knew that there were
people back at the Will Rogers [Hotel], my other
companions, struggling to pay their rent. There were so
many people who led disconnected lives – lives without
love, warmth, or dignity. I even felt a sense of guilt
because, through choice, tenacity, and perhaps a bit of
luck, I was on a trajectory that would enable me to leave
behind the world of Will Rogers (Fix, 2006, p. 36).
This student goes to Harvard University and has a major in
history and science.
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
A topic discussed in various essays, that was not
part of the other data collected, was racism

Students explained how racism affected them
and expressed the need for change ( in the
United States)
 Two of the students had visited other countries
(Germany and Cuba) and said they were welcomed in
those countries, and individuals there were not
concerned about color or race
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“They have said to me that the only reason I
am getting into a good college is because I
am black. They do not see the long hours I
have spent poring over my books, they do not
see my fight to keep up my grades, nor do
they see my struggle to be the best that I can
be. They only see that I am black” (Fix, 2006,
p. 38).
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An average SAT score is 5oo, per section
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/
scores/understanding/average.html


These students verbal and math SAT scores
ranged from:
800 (perfect) to 540 (above average)

The average of their scores was:
Verbal = 700
Math = 670
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
Males vs. Females
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
After reviewing the surveys, essays, and interview
data, males and females were similar in their views
of how they succeeded in school and beyond

Parents and caregivers, learning at home, role
models, mentors, extracurricular activities, libraries,
religion, media, and the Internet had positive impacts
on their successes

Parents volunteering in school/community center
activities, home/school communications, and
community centers did not assist with their success
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Negative being:
 Poverty
 Homelessness
 Drug addicted family members
 Abuse
 Racism
 Family (when family did not want them to attend
college)
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Remaining positive through:
 Parents/caregivers
 Role models
 Extracurricular activities (volunteering, debate
team, student council, homework, writing,
leadership positions, sports)
 Religion
 Libraries
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
Providing training programs for new parents,
to teach them about the value of providing:
 nutrition along with a
 safe,
 loving, and
 nurturing environment
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http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html
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
Since parents and caregivers play such an important
part in student lives and academic success, they
need to be informed about the importance of sharing
literacy experiences, such as having conversations,
reading together, going to the library, and
modeling writing with children in the home.

These activities have proven to be more helpful in
preparing children for school than even socioeconomic status. These types of activities, in other
words, can compensate for socio-economic
differences (Epstein & Sanders, 2002).
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
Programs that promote literacy learning for the
entire family are especially necessary, since
parents are their children’s first teachers
(Handel, 1999; McConnell, 2001); and, more
funding for mentor type programs is necessary,
to fill the gap for children who do not have a
significant person or role model in their lives.

Teach parents about value of education,
including college education.
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
For the students in this study, having a significant
person in their lives (which included parents, teachers,
librarians, counselors, neighbors, mentors, coaches,
religious leaders, role models, and friends) made the
greatest impact on their success.

Some students stated that their parents were drug addicts
or abused alcohol, yet a significant person (such as a
person from the Big Brothers Big Sisters’ program) had
believed in them, helped them grow up believing they
would succeed, and were there for them to assist with
school projects or with other important life lessons.

Mentors are needed for students who do not have a
significant person who believes in them.
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
Training administrators and teachers about
conducting effective partnership practices is
essential to the success of home-school
connections (Chavkin, 2000).

This study emphasizes the importance of
this type of training, since these types of
connections were not occurring in these
students’ lives.
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
Students commented that becoming motivated to read
was also very important in their academic success. Thus,
teachers and caregivers should provide students with
books of interest; include a social component to reading
(such as re-telling stories in a group); set goals for reading;
provide good reading models; and give students time and
space to read comfortably (Cole, 2003).

This leads to how reading motivation may impact school
grades, and fine grades may help in maintaining reading
motivation. This can also lead students in becoming
lifelong readers and lifelong learners regardless of
backgrounds (Colker, 2000).
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
Funding for libraries, to keep them open, with
up-to-date books, resources, computers, and
the Internet is of essence when providing
access to print.

Encouraging library programs that bring books
to childcare centers (or other community
organizations) can also be very motivating and
start children reading early on (Bagley, 2000),
as some students stated was how they became
life-long readers.
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
Last, promoting more programs on
television and in other media sources
that show successful African-Americans
in our society will help to continue to
provide the positive role models that
students need.
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“Highly motivated by the possibility of becoming
the first four-year college student in my
immediate family, and the only one within my
group of friends to pursue higher education,
learning became a passion. I devoted my energy
to becoming a scholar, staying late at school to
study in the library, participating in activities,
and avoiding the neighborhood’s negativity”
(Fix, 2006, p. 40).
This student is studying political science and
broadcast journalism at Florida A & M University.
Dr. Gilda Martinez
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
Averett, A., & Rodriguez, V. (2003, Spring). New research on families, communities,
and student achievement. The Link, 1-2.

Chavkin, N. F. (2000). Family and community involvement: Teachers can lead the way.
Clearing House, 73(5), 287-290.

CollegeBoard. (2008). SAT. Retrieved June 11, 2008 from
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/scores/understanding/average.html

Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community involvement. Washington, DC: Lilly
Endowment, Inc.

Epstein, J. L., & Sanders, M. G. (2002). Handbook of parenting. In M. H. Bornstein
(Ed.), Family, school, and community partnerships (pp. 407-437). Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Fix, S. (2006). I have risen: Essays by African-American youth. Charlottesville, VA: CAP
Charitable Foundation.
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
Flick, U. (2002). An introduction to qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications Ltd.

Handel, R. D. (1999). Building family literacy in an urban community. New York, NY:
Teachers College Press.

Henderson, A. T., & Mapp, K. L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school,
family, and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX:
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

Huitt, W. (2004). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta,
GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved June 11, 2008 from,
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html.

McConnell, S. (2001). Parent involvement and family support: Where do we want to go,
and how will we know we are headed there? Journal of Early Intervention, 24(1), 15-18.

Stake, R. E. (2000). Case studies. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Ed.), Handbook of
qualitative research, 2nd Edition (pp. 435-454). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods, 2nd edition.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.
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
Why a case study?
What made it possible?
What were the benefits?
What were the challenges -time, access, etc.?
How did you organize the data?
Challenges in data analysis and write up?
Final products – presentations, articles?
Post-dissertation reflections, etc.?
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