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Articles by Adrienne Goss

Thresholds in Education, 2023

This evaluative case study focused on how organizational changes—specifically a new directional s... more This evaluative case study focused on how organizational changes—specifically a new directional system—affected staff culture in a rural Midwestern school district. This work was theoretically grounded in Owens and Valesky’s school climate model. Through observations, interviews, and a review of documents, I determined that the new directional system led to cultural changes among the staff that also had a positive impact on students. Specifically, the directional system informed the district’s hiring practices, incentivized the exploration of new teaching strategies, and inspired teachers to adopt a growth mindset. In short, it changed who was in the building, what they taught, and how they assessed— themselves and their students.

The Ohio Journal of Teacher Education, 2020

This study examined the efforts of a private, liberal arts university’s education department to t... more This study examined the efforts of a private, liberal arts university’s education department to transform into a multicultural organization, beginning with course content. The investigation was theoretically grounded in the Multicultural Organization Development model and the Practice Dimensions of Multicultural Teacher Education. Results of an evaluation of the purposes behind faculty members’ assignments showed evidence across the levels of criticality with a majority in Teaching with Multicultural Competence and in the Affirming organizational stage. Some courses would benefit from activities that challenge students to think about the sociopolitical context of teaching and social activism.

The Currere Exchange Journal, 2017

This work uses the method of currere and my experiences as a classroom teacher to delineate a vis... more This work uses the method of currere and my experiences as a classroom teacher to delineate a vision for the education of African American children.

Education and Urban Society

Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children’s schools. Us... more Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children’s schools. Using data from a study of parent members of a community organization and structuration theory, I examined how and why parents encountered resistance to their attempts to be more involved and to advocate for their children. This work can broaden our conception of barriers to parental involvement, and serve as an alert to parent advocates, parents of children of color, and parents of children in special education, as they tend to experience the most challenges. I hope that it will also inspire educators to reconsider their actions within this system and be more courageous in their own advocacy for children.

School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community invol... more School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent
and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and
culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. The
Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) was formed to raise awareness about
these disparities and to educate community members about alternatives to
suspension and expulsion. This study examined how the cultural heritage of
PEP’s members informed the organization’s work, particularly its expression
of a village consciousness, and how it influenced the interventions for
which the group advocated. Through this study, I showed that the African
American cultural heritage informed the foundation of the organization and
the core ideology of the organization’s members. The group also identified
interventions to prevent suspension and expulsion that resonated with their
cultural position, particularly ways to support positive behavior in the home.

The Qualitative Report, Dec 9, 2013

Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly w... more Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly when attempting to connect to and collaborate with communities outside of the academy. This work utilizes an arts-informed methodology of representation to communicate the importance and potential consequences of teacher advocacy and parental involvement. Specifically, I use fiction as a mode of representing the interview data that my research participant and I generated. After analyzing the data using grounded theory methods, I chose to represent the data with five vignettes. I detail my process for creating the vignettes and offer justification for why the use of fiction is appropriate for this research study.

Book Chapters by Adrienne Goss

Re-Membering History in Student and Teacher Learning: An Afrocentric Culturally-Informed-Praxis

Book Reviews by Adrienne Goss

Western Journal of Black Studies

Dissertation by Adrienne Goss

Policy Publications by Adrienne Goss

Each chapter of this primer can stand alone, but together the chapters provide an overview of how... more Each chapter of this primer can stand alone, but together the chapters provide an overview of how public education operates in Rhode Island.

Conference Presentations by Adrienne Goss

Thresholds in Education, 2023

This evaluative case study focused on how organizational changes—specifically a new directional s... more This evaluative case study focused on how organizational changes—specifically a new directional system—affected staff culture in a rural Midwestern school district. This work was theoretically grounded in Owens and Valesky’s school climate model. Through observations, interviews, and a review of documents, I determined that the new directional system led to cultural changes among the staff that also had a positive impact on students. Specifically, the directional system informed the district’s hiring practices, incentivized the exploration of new teaching strategies, and inspired teachers to adopt a growth mindset. In short, it changed who was in the building, what they taught, and how they assessed— themselves and their students.

The Ohio Journal of Teacher Education, 2020

This study examined the efforts of a private, liberal arts university’s education department to t... more This study examined the efforts of a private, liberal arts university’s education department to transform into a multicultural organization, beginning with course content. The investigation was theoretically grounded in the Multicultural Organization Development model and the Practice Dimensions of Multicultural Teacher Education. Results of an evaluation of the purposes behind faculty members’ assignments showed evidence across the levels of criticality with a majority in Teaching with Multicultural Competence and in the Affirming organizational stage. Some courses would benefit from activities that challenge students to think about the sociopolitical context of teaching and social activism.

The Currere Exchange Journal, 2017

This work uses the method of currere and my experiences as a classroom teacher to delineate a vis... more This work uses the method of currere and my experiences as a classroom teacher to delineate a vision for the education of African American children.

Education and Urban Society

Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children’s schools. Us... more Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children’s schools. Using data from a study of parent members of a community organization and structuration theory, I examined how and why parents encountered resistance to their attempts to be more involved and to advocate for their children. This work can broaden our conception of barriers to parental involvement, and serve as an alert to parent advocates, parents of children of color, and parents of children in special education, as they tend to experience the most challenges. I hope that it will also inspire educators to reconsider their actions within this system and be more courageous in their own advocacy for children.

School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community invol... more School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent
and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and
culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. The
Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) was formed to raise awareness about
these disparities and to educate community members about alternatives to
suspension and expulsion. This study examined how the cultural heritage of
PEP’s members informed the organization’s work, particularly its expression
of a village consciousness, and how it influenced the interventions for
which the group advocated. Through this study, I showed that the African
American cultural heritage informed the foundation of the organization and
the core ideology of the organization’s members. The group also identified
interventions to prevent suspension and expulsion that resonated with their
cultural position, particularly ways to support positive behavior in the home.

The Qualitative Report, Dec 9, 2013

Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly w... more Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly when attempting to connect to and collaborate with communities outside of the academy. This work utilizes an arts-informed methodology of representation to communicate the importance and potential consequences of teacher advocacy and parental involvement. Specifically, I use fiction as a mode of representing the interview data that my research participant and I generated. After analyzing the data using grounded theory methods, I chose to represent the data with five vignettes. I detail my process for creating the vignettes and offer justification for why the use of fiction is appropriate for this research study.

Re-Membering History in Student and Teacher Learning: An Afrocentric Culturally-Informed-Praxis

Western Journal of Black Studies

Each chapter of this primer can stand alone, but together the chapters provide an overview of how... more Each chapter of this primer can stand alone, but together the chapters provide an overview of how public education operates in Rhode Island.

African American children receive suspensions and expulsions from school at a rate 2-4 times that... more African American children receive suspensions and expulsions from school at a rate 2-4 times that of White students. The Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) formed to raise awareness about these disparities and to educate community members about alternatives to suspension and expulsion. This study examined how the cultural heritage of PEP’s members informed the organization’s work and how it influenced the alternatives for which the group advocated. Through this study, I showed that the African American cultural heritage informed the foundation of the organization and permeated throughout the organization’s core operating processes. The group also identified alternatives to suspension and expulsion that resonated with their cultural position, including ways to support positive behavior in the home.

Transforming public schools into places of democratic participation is critical to resisting the ... more Transforming public schools into places of democratic participation is critical to resisting the influence of privatization. Children of color are particularly vulnerable to the influx of privatized educational reform measures. When such models of school reform based on accountability, high stakes testing, and standardized curricula replace culturally relevant, contextualized educational experiences, students suffer. Yet research indicates that students who attend schools that are connected to their communities thrive (Blank, Johnson, & Shah, 2003). One woman is revolutionary in her approach to fostering a community of parents, students, and educators in a California public school. I interview the creator of this parent engagement program to uncover her approach to meeting the needs of her students of color, particularly her African American students, and the importance of restoring parents to their rightful place as the first educators of their children. Her work shows that, contrary to the discourse informing market-based reforms, educators can make transformations that benefit children of color within traditional public schools. I close with a discussion of policy implications for teachers of students of color who wish to use their positions to work with parents to transform their school communities.

ONU's Alumni Journal highlights our Urban Experience program in Nashville.

Local news story about a community initiative involving me and my students.

The purpose of this radio interview was to introduce me and my work to the local community. Inte... more The purpose of this radio interview was to introduce me and my work to the local community.
Interview begins at 0:48

This is a brief summary of some of the debate surrounding edTPA as a licensure requirement in Ohi... more This is a brief summary of some of the debate surrounding edTPA as a licensure requirement in Ohio. I am starting to write these to help me process policy issues in the state, and hopefully help others to do the same. I welcome comments.

Learning environments research, Jun 29, 2024

The qualitative report, Jan 8, 2015

Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly w... more Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly when attempting to connect to and collaborate with communities outside of the academy. This work utilizes an arts-informed methodology of representation to communicate the importance and potential consequences of teacher advocacy and parental involvement. Specifically, I use fiction as a mode of representing the interview data that my research participant and I generated. After analyzing the data using grounded theory methods, I chose to represent the data with five vignettes. Vignette 1 introduces the reader to Ms. Abeni, a public school teacher who is passionate about educating every child. Vignettes 2-4 illustrate challenges that Ms. Abeni faces in working with parents, students, and school personnel. The final vignette shows one of the consequences that Ms. Abeni faces for being such a radical change agent in her school. The vignettes are fictional representations of the real life of a teacher who I interviewed. I detail my process for creating the vignettes and offer justification for why the use of fiction is appropriate for this research study.

Western journal of black studies, Sep 22, 2014

Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement Author: Tomiko Brow... more Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement Author: Tomiko Brown-Nagin Oxford University Press, 2011 Price: $ 34.95 ISBN: 978-0-19-538659-2 The beauty of Tomiko Brown-Nagin's work, Courage to Dissent, lies not just in the artful retelling of the impact of legal organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); grassroots movements like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commission (SNCC); nationally-recognized leaders like Julian Bond; and behind the scenes organizers like Ella Baker. Her work reveals the dynamic, sometimes contentious relations that participants in the Civil Rights Movement had with one another. Brown-Nagin begins this text with an introduction to A. T. Walden, a highly influential but not widely known pragmatic lawyer in Georgia. Walden rose to prominence in the Black community when he became the first African American in Georgia's history ever to aid in the prosecution of a White man. Walden's pragmatism, characterized by slow, deliberate negotiation and compromise, aligned with the views of many of the Black elite and middle class who had a lot to lose by radical, active resistance to White supremacy. This same pragmatism alienated him from youth activists, and left him labeled in many imaginations as an "Uncle Tom." Still, by the mid-1960s, youth activists, civil rights lawyers, and most pragmatists attempted to work together in the midst of tension and disagreements, "sometimes successfully and sometimes less so" (p. 177) in order to make advances in civil rights. Unique Contributions to Scholarship The strengths of this text include the highly detailed accounts of both commonly- and lesser-known events of the civil rights era. Direct quotes from movement leaders through personal interviews and archives strengthen the conviction of her analysis. Brown-Nagin's focus on Atlanta remains contextualized in the events occurring in the nation and even throughout the world at any given time, giving the reader a global perspective while maintaining a constant point of reference. Citing the work of Jacquelyn Dowd Hall, Brown-Nagin's work challenges the notion of "simple justice"--the master narrative that claims that the civil rights era began with the Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka (1954) case and ended with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This departure from simple justice turns our attention from typical, "top-down," legal scholarship of the civil rights era that focuses on litigation, mostly by the NAACP, in the fight for legal and social change. Instead, Brown-Nagin shows us the civil rights era from the "bottom-up," arguing in some cases that the legal victories of organizations like the NAACP could not have occurred without the grassroots organizing of lesser-known activists and the intervention of Congress and the Executive Branch of the federal government. …

Education and Urban Society, Dec 25, 2017

Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children's schools. Usi... more Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children's schools. Using data from a study of parent members of a community organization and structuration theory, I examined how and why parents encountered resistance to their attempts to be more involved and to advocate for their children. This work can broaden our conception of barriers to parental involvement and serve as an alert to parent advocates, parents of children of color, and parents of children in special education, as they tend to experience the most challenges. I hope that it will also inspire educators to reconsider their actions within this system and be more courageous in their own advocacy for children. Keywords schools, urban education, teachers, administrators I wanna see parents be treated as valuable partners and not as the stupid people that walked in the room that don't have a brain. And I think they're so devalued that it's just crazy.

Educational studies, May 1, 2011

School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community invol... more School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. My research examined how members of a parent community organization worked to raise parents' awareness about and engage them in school discipline reform, including culturally sensitive approaches. I developed a culturally centered research study that privileged my participants' cultural and epistemological positions. The primary data sources were qualitative interviews and documents. A thematic analysis revealed that the participants' cultural heritage formed the foundation for the organization's work. Key organizational processes identified include raising awareness by learning new information, linking to community resources to engage in advocacy and build power, and leading parents through inquiry-based activism. Organizational learning and program adjustments showed promise of parents' ability to influence local school district educational practices.

Journal of Black Studies, Oct 1, 2015

School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community invol... more School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. The Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) was formed to raise awareness about these disparities and to educate community members about alternatives to suspension and expulsion. This study examined how the cultural heritage of PEP’s members informed the organization’s work, particularly its expression of a village consciousness, and how it influenced the interventions for which the group advocated. Through this study, I showed that the African American cultural heritage informed the foundation of the organization and the core ideology of the organization’s members. The group also identified interventions to prevent suspension and expulsion that resonated with their cultural position, particularly ways to support positive behavior in the home.

School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community invol... more School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. The Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) was formed to raise awareness about these disparities and to educate community members about alternatives to suspension and expulsion. This study examined how the cultural heritage of PEP’s members informed the organization’s work, particularly its expression of a village consciousness, and how it influenced the interventions for which the group advocated. Through this study, I showed that the African American cultural heritage informed the foundation of the organization and the core ideology of the organization’s members. The group also identified interventions to prevent suspension and expulsion that resonated with their cultural position, particularly ways to support positive behavior in the home.

Re-Membering History in Student and Teacher Learning, 2014

Western journal of black studies, 2014

Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement Author: Tomiko Brow... more Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement Author: Tomiko Brown-Nagin Oxford University Press, 2011 Price: $ 34.95 ISBN: 978-0-19-538659-2 The beauty of Tomiko Brown-Nagin's work, Courage to Dissent, lies not just in the artful retelling of the impact of legal organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); grassroots movements like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commission (SNCC); nationally-recognized leaders like Julian Bond; and behind the scenes organizers like Ella Baker. Her work reveals the dynamic, sometimes contentious relations that participants in the Civil Rights Movement had with one another. Brown-Nagin begins this text with an introduction to A. T. Walden, a highly influential but not widely known pragmatic lawyer in Georgia. Walden rose to prominence in the Black community when he became the first African American in Georgia's history ever to aid in the prosecution of a Whi...

International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2021

In this three-part article, we present two studies of Black political education and resistance to... more In this three-part article, we present two studies of Black political education and resistance to archive and document examples of the ongoing struggle for educational equity. In the first portion ...

Education and Urban Society, 2017

Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children’s schools. Usi... more Parents face varying degrees of difficulty with getting involved in their children’s schools. Using data from a study of parent members of a community organization and structuration theory, I examined how and why parents encountered resistance to their attempts to be more involved and to advocate for their children. This work can broaden our conception of barriers to parental involvement and serve as an alert to parent advocates, parents of children of color, and parents of children in special education, as they tend to experience the most challenges. I hope that it will also inspire educators to reconsider their actions within this system and be more courageous in their own advocacy for children.

The Qualitative Report, Jan 8, 2015

Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly w... more Qualitative research can, and sometimes should, utilize fictional representations, particularly when attempting to connect to and collaborate with communities outside of the academy. This work utilizes an arts-informed methodology of representation to communicate the importance and potential consequences of teacher advocacy and parental involvement. Specifically, I use fiction as a mode of representing the interview data that my research participant and I generated. After analyzing the data using grounded theory methods, I chose to represent the data with five vignettes. Vignette 1 introduces the reader to Ms. Abeni, a public school teacher who is passionate about educating every child. Vignettes 2-4 illustrate challenges that Ms. Abeni faces in working with parents, students, and school personnel. The final vignette shows one of the consequences that Ms. Abeni faces for being such a radical change agent in her school. The vignettes are fictional representations of the real life of a teacher who I interviewed. I detail my process for creating the vignettes and offer justification for why the use of fiction is appropriate for this research study.

PUSH BACK ON PUSH OUT: PARENT ORGANIZING FOR SCHOOL DISCIPLINE REFORM by Adrienne C. Goss School-... more PUSH BACK ON PUSH OUT: PARENT ORGANIZING FOR SCHOOL DISCIPLINE REFORM by Adrienne C. Goss School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. My research examined how members of a parent community organization worked to raise parents' awareness about and engage them in school discipline reform, including culturally sensitive approaches. I developed a culturally centered research study that privileged my participants’ cultural and epistemological positions. The primary data sources were qualitative interviews and documents. A thematic analysis revealed that the participants’ cultural heritage formed the foundation for the organization’s work. Key organizational processes identified include raising awareness by learning new information, linking to community resources to engage in advocacy and build power, and...

Journal of Black Studies, 2015

School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community invol... more School-to-prison pipeline research and scholarship point to a need for parent and community involvement in addressing school discipline policies and culturally sensitive approaches to reducing disparities in school discipline. The Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) was formed to raise awareness about these disparities and to educate community members about alternatives to suspension and expulsion. This study examined how the cultural heritage of PEP’s members informed the organization’s work, particularly its expression of a village consciousness, and how it influenced the interventions for which the group advocated. Through this study, I showed that the African American cultural heritage informed the foundation of the organization and the core ideology of the organization’s members. The group also identified interventions to prevent suspension and expulsion that resonated with their cultural position, particularly ways to support positive behavior in the home.