What Success Looks Like: Increasing High School Graduation Rates among Males of Color

by Marck Abraham

Overview

Black males have the lowest graduation rates of any population in the country, graduating from high school at the rate of just 59%. They are suspended and referred to special education classes at rates three times higher than any other population. They make up just 6% of the US population yet account for nearly a third of the American prison population. The graduation gap between White and Black males is currently 21% and growing. Research has shown that costly federal, state, and local programs have failed to solve this crisis. This book details the 10-step method I developed and deployed in the Buffalo (New York) high school of which I was principal, which has raised the four-year graduation rate for Black males to 93% and the five-year rate to 90%. My program has been deployed throughout New York State and I am now advising schools nationally, helping them to deploy proven strategies that will guarantee the academic success of Black males.

This is a one-of-a-kind book with powerful strategies secondary and middle school principals can use to transform their entire school. The strategies in this book are what every successful principal needs to run a high performing school. This book answers the age-old question: “Can principals truly make a difference and turn their school around?” The answer is yes, they can! This book will show them how.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475861075
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	07/14/2021
Pages:	164
Product dimensions:	6.37(w) x 8.95(h) x 0.77(d)

About the Author

Marck Abraham is a national authority on minority education with a passion for increasing graduation rates for Black and Brown males. He is also a former high school principal who was cited by the New York State Department of Education as 1 out of 10 schools with the highest graduation rates for Black and Brown males in the state.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I: Life, Death, and Diplomas

Chapter 1. School Principals Matter: Share the Love but Own the Data

Chapter 2. Some Do Overcome

Chapter 3. Ten Steps Forward

Part II: The Ten Steps

Chapter 4. Step One: Data Dominates

Chapter 5. Step Two: Goals? Make Them Realistically High

Chapter 6. Step Three: If You Don’t Like What’s Being Said, Change the Conversation

Chapter 7. Step Four: Hold Teachers Accountable

Chapter 8. Step Five: Resources—Prioritize, Focus, Allocate

Chapter 9. Step Six: Discover Their Big Why

Chapter 10. Step Seven: Work, Workout, Rest, Smile, Laugh, Hug Your Family, Keep Your Mind and Body Healthy

Chapter 11. Step Eight: Red, Yellow, Green—Target Student Intervention

Chapter 12. Step Nine: Reimagine Discipline

Chapter 13. Step Ten: Celebrate … Everything!

References

Editorial Reviews

Dr. Marck Abraham is a thought leader and recognized field expert with regard to the critical systems and strategies that lead to higher rates of graduation for men of color. Our company had the opportunity to visit and assess the culture and practices of Dr. Abraham’s recent high school where he and his team elevated graduation rates by double digits. Not only has Dr. Abraham conducted the research in this area, he has done the work and accomplished, as a school leader, commendable results. Marck is one of the most dynamic educators I have ever met; his unending passion and energetic drive to create successful outcomes for our students is the reason you want him with your school.

Penny L. Ciaburri

Dr. Abraham was an overall empathetic principal that still believed in discipline. He believed in engaging with us on a personal level and carried himself as a model of excellence. Due to my great experience at McKinley with Abraham and faculty, I sit at a 3.83 GPA as a pre-law student and soon to be law school student while still carrying the characteristics I developed through McKinley, such as empathy, discipline, and an eagerness to learn.

Emmanuel Wright

Dr. Abraham is unapologetically authentic is his fight for equity. While some leaders perform, he produces!

Shaun Nelms

I have had the privilege to see Dr. Marck Abraham’s passion and commitment for young men of color firsthand during his principalship in Buffalo Public Schools. He worked extremely hard to embrace and implement key strategies that allowed him to be recognized by the New York State Education Department for high graduation rates for young men of color in a non-criterion school. Dr. Abraham has strategies that support all kids but in particular elevate the success of young men of color.

Anibal Soler

Dr. Marck Abraham is the real deal. If you want to improve your graduation rates for Black and Brown young men go now and buy What Success Looks Like: Increasing High School Graduation Rates among Males of Color. You won’t be disappointed, after reading this book you will definitely want to book him to support your academic needs!

Dr. Paul Miller

Dr. Abraham is unapologetically authentic is his fight for equity. While some leaders perform, he produces!

Dr. Abraham was an overall empathetic principal that still believed in discipline. He believed in engaging with us on a personal level and carried himself as a model of excellence. Due to my great experience at McKinley with Abraham and faculty, I sit at a 3.83 GPA as a pre-law student and soon to be law school student while still carrying the characteristics I developed through McKinley, such as empathy, discipline, and an eagerness to learn.

Dr. Marck Abraham is a thought leader and recognized field expert with regard to the critical systems and strategies that lead to higher rates of graduation for men of color. Our company had the opportunity to visit and assess the culture and practices of Dr. Abraham's recent high school where he and his team elevated graduation rates by double digits. Not only has Dr. Abraham conducted the research in this area, he has done the work and accomplished, as a school leader, commendable results. Marck is one of the most dynamic educators I have ever met; his unending passion and energetic drive to create successful outcomes for our students is the reason you want him with your school.

Dr. Marck Abraham is the real deal. If you want to improve your graduation rates for Black and Brown young men go now and buy What Success Looks Like: Increasing High School Graduation Rates among Males of Color. You won't be disappointed, after reading this book you will definitely want to book him to support your academic needs!

I have had the privilege to see Dr. Marck Abraham's passion and commitment for young men of color firsthand during his principalship in Buffalo Public Schools. He worked extremely hard to embrace and implement key strategies that allowed him to be recognized by the New York State Education Department for high graduation rates for young men of color in a non-criterion school. Dr. Abraham has strategies that support all kids but in particular elevate the success of young men of color.

From the Publisher