ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that high-school experiences of African American students, paying particular attention to school attachments, programs offered, class tracking, interactions with teachers and other students, and academic performance, including graduation rates, drop-out rates, and test scores. It examines the manner and extent to which African American students are disciplined and racially marked. The chapter also examines the “oppositional” behavior of both boys and girls and how that develops and changes over time. Located in a downtown area with no campus, Parlington High School is considered to be a diverse urban school with high student needs in relation to district resources. Parlington High had myriad programs that attempted to enhance school attachments, especially for students who were seen to be “at risk.” Students offered many examples of how teachers treated black students differently than white students in the classroom.
