An Examination of the Positive Factors Impacting Graduation Rates of Minority Males at a Successful Secondary Urban School in New York City

The issue of minority achievement, as measured by graduation rate is a critical one, especially for African American males. This study seeks to provide a backdrop for the problem of high dropout rates, reviewing some of the reasons for low graduations rates, connecting theories of race and achievement, and relating student achievement to the theories presented. By studying one single-sex school where the graduation rate for minority males is relatively high, the researcher identifies and analyzes factors for high achievement and provides recommendations for application to similar settings. The research study uses a mixed method approach to gather and analyze data about participants’ perceptions of achievement factors for minority males in one school. Participants completed a survey with questions about achievement factors and rated the degree of importance of each factor. The findings suggest that single-sex education is working at the study site. In 2011, 87% of the young men graduated high school and went on to college. The study identifies three important factors that positively impacted student graduation. Those factors are high student expectations, teacher quality, and a strong credit recovery program