2012 UCEA Convention

Race and School Leadership in Urban Texas Schools. Hilario Lomeli Jr., Penn State University; Ashwini K. Tiwari, Pennsylvania State University
This paper examines changes and turnover in school principals in urban Texas over a 20-year period (1990-2010), particularly examining the role and shifting patterns of leadership of color within the state. The research uses mixed methodology, including quantitative analysis of long-term principal trends across the state. Findings highlight to the growing role of leadership of color in urban Texas, while also pointing to the greater institutional and structural barriers to maintaining long-term and sustainable leadership.

A Critical Practice Analysis of Response to Intervention. Kathleen King Thorius, Indiana University- IUPUI; Brendan David Maxcy, IU School of Education-IUPUI; Erin Macey, Indiana University- Bloomington; Adrienne Cox, Indiana University-Bloomington
Response to Intervention or “RTI” emerged in special education as an alternative for identifying student eligibility for services. RTI exhibits promise in tackling equity issues, such as the representation of diverse learners in special education, but also raises concerns. This interpretive case study explored: (1) the goals of implementing RTI in an urban elementary school; and (2) the cultural-historical factors shaping the zone of mediation (Welner, 2001) within which RTI was implemented?

Hearing the Caged Birds’ Song: Using “Racial Literacy” and “Racial Opportunity Cost” to Give(Hear) Voice. Sonya Douglass Horsford, University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Terah Talei Venzant Chambers, Texas A&M University
This paper stems from two separate but interrelated projects that challenge traditional conceptions of the meaning and use of race in education. Using work on “racial literacy” and “racial opportunity cost,” the authors highlight in different ways the complicated role race plays in education, particularly for students of color.