An Exploration of Practical Means by Which Post-Secondary Achievement Can Be Elevated for Low-Socioeconomic Black Males

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that contribute to the postsecondary achievement gap between low-socioeconomic income Black males (LBM) and White males. The two principal factors that emerge from the literature are categorize by this author as internal and external barriers LBM’ encounter. Internal barriers are those encountered in school, identified as 1) the curriculum, 2) the teacher and 3) the role guidance counselors play. External barriers those encountered outside of school are identified in 1) low-income families, 2) community and 3) deficit perceptions. There is sufficient documentation about the factors associated with LBM’ postsecondary underachievement. However, there is insufficient literature regarding new strategies specifically designed to address the persistent achievement gap between LBM and their White male counterparts (WMC). Thus, the motivation for this study is to 1) identify and interpret public domain historical data to validate the achievement gap between the two groups; 2) Explore the barriers to postsecondary achievement for LBM’ and 3) mitigate the persistent postsecondary achievement gap between the two groups using a developed curriculum the author calls a synchronized curriculum through a qualitative approach using a historical design, with the hope of improving their opportunities for long-term economic sustainability and changing the deficit perception of LBM