Organization of Dissertation. Chapter 1 provides a framework for considering the desegregation of Westminster. In expanding the history of school desegregation, this project intersects with the history of black education in the South and independent schools. In this chapter, I provide an overview of the role of private schools in the history of black education for considering the educational legacy inherited by the first black students to attend Westminster. I also consider the independent school world in which Westminster developed as a leading southern independent school. Chapter 2 focuses on the years 1951 through 1957 during which time Westminster became a fixture in the Atlanta community under the leadership of Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, who became a nationally recognized independent school leader. Though little evidence exists of events or considerations pertaining directly to the school’s desegregation, this chapter chronicles the ways school traditions with racial connotations and references were beginning to take form. Chapter 3 chronicles 1958 through 1961, the years immediately prior to the desegregation of Atlanta Public Schools. In response, the Westminster Board adopted committees focused on the “public school dilemma” and “race.” Pressly continued his involvement on the national level as the number of segregationist academies increased in the wake of public school desegregation. As evident in Westminster’s school newspapers, students discussed social issues of the era and raised questions about integration, prejudice, and discrimination, especially after the school banned performances by black bands. Chapter 4 details the years 1962 and 1963, when black parents sought admission at Westminster and other local Atlanta private schools, and Westminster received inquiries from the Greater Atlanta Council on Human Relations (GACHR) about its policies. These years are framed by a national independent school climate focused more on race and recruitment of black students and local changes with respect to other Atlanta private schools. Adding to the complexity of Westminster’s climate is evidence of the continuation of racialized traditions and students, again, writing about the current political and social climate with regard to race.
Organization of Dissertation. In Chapter One, the introduction, I describe the foundation of this research. I explain the initial research I did that created my interest in student buy-in, define key terms that will be used frequently in this dissertation, and outline the research questions that guide my work. In Chapter Two, I describe the theoretical and conceptual framework that applies to my research. The goal in describing these frameworks is to allow the reader to understand my position and viewpoints on my research. Doing so provides disclosure on how I choose to interpret my data and insight into the reasoning for some of the decisions made throughout the research. In Chapter Three, the literature review, I describe the foundational research I use to support my work. I also describe the work done by other groups who are also interested in student response to instructional practices and the ways in which instructors can get student agreement. In this chapter, I also discuss the areas in which my work will extend beyond the already published material. In Chapter Four, I introduce the two surveys I developed to measure student buy-in and the ways in which instructors attempt to gain a high level of student buy-in. I describe the surveys, explain how to calculate buy- in from the results, and discuss how I found evidence of validity for the surveys. In Chapter Five, the methods section, I discuss the study population, interviews, and the analyses that are run on my data. In Chapter Six and Seven, I present my findings from the surveys and then the interviews. Finally, in Chapter Eight I summarize my research, discuss its implications, describe limitations of the research, and present possible future research directions.
