Examining Construction and Reproduction of the Educational Opportunity Gap: The Nation’s School Board Members Respond

Author

Hallet DeMouyFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2021

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

First Advisor

Albert Nylander

Second Advisor

Susan McClelland

Third Advisor

Minjoo Oh

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This thesis explores opportunity gaps, often related to achievement gaps, in education via the analysis of school board members’ responses regarding challenges that face future education, students, and the public school system. The perceptions of these school board members serve to address the sources, prevalence, and effects of inequities that exist in widening (perpetuating) this gap between students. After discussing and elaborating upon the perceived challenges and barriers located in the institution of education, school board member responses will again be used to present potential ways and opportunities through which the achievement gaps, relating to the success rates and testing scores of students that largely defines them, can be lessened and overcome. Societal constructs that benefit certain individuals and groups at the expense of oppressing others, such as race and socioeconomic status, commonly uphold and are upheld by large institutions, reproducing this cycle intergenerationally. The gathered responses are utilized to explore opportunities that could potentially decrease, or even diminish, the bars of inequity in the system of education and beyond.

Recommended Citation

DeMouy, Hallet, "Examining Construction and Reproduction of the Educational Opportunity Gap: The Nation’s School Board Members Respond" (2021). Honors Theses. 1871.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1871

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.