Outer City Children

This research project examines the phenomena of massive Black out-migration from the city of Chicago and its implications for 1) schools, social service agencies, non-profit organizations, and other institutions; 2) the identity and future of the city and cities like it across the nation where low-income people of color have been pushed to the social and geographic periphery; and 3) the field of urban sociology, which historically has focused on the notion of an "inner city."  

Saying Yes: Consent Scripts in Middle School

Issues of sexual assault and harassment often reveal that many individuals in our society remain unfamiliar with the notion of consent. Many interventions intended to address this problem through education occur in the college or university setting--after most students have already developed romantic and sexual values and behaviors. This study focuses on the middle grades, when many young people begin to cultivate a sense of ethics and normative understandings of social interactions, including intimate relationships. The participants are a racially diverse sample of low-income urban seventh- and eighth-graders. The project aims to address a significant gap in the literature by providing a baseline understanding of middle school students' ideas and opinions regarding consent for both scholars and practitioners to think critically about how to intervene in what has become a significant and pervasive societal problem. 
Supported by the Spencer Foundation.

Public Schools, Public Knowledge

Classroom teachers and school leaders are urged to implement "research-based" efforts, but peer-reviewed academic research is often inaccessible to them. This project aims to create a free online database for educators to access curated summaries of research publications relevant to public schools in Chicago and beyond. 

In partnership with Chicago Public Schools Department of School Quality Measurement and Research.

Alternative Schools Attendance Project (ASAP)

Consistent attendance is vital to student outcomes in school, and so a significant body of research explores factors that assist or hinder young people in attending school regularly. But what about young people who have already dropped out or been expelled from school and are now attending alternative schools in an attempt to earn a high school degree? These students face many special circumstances that can hinder attendance, often the very same factors which led them to leave or be pushed out of school in the first place. Using semi-structured qualitative interviews, this study explores the unique experiences of students enrolled in one urban alternative school and the barriers they face that can make attendance challenging for them.
Supported by the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago.