The Relationship between Verve and the Academic Achievement of African American Students in Reading and Mathematics in an Urban Middle School

Oct 15, 2026

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Study examines how verve relates to academic achievement among selected African American middle-school students in reading and mathematics within an urban setting. Background addresses the U.S. achievement gap, documenting lower performance for African American students on standardized measures and noting that the gap persists across socioeconomic status, gender, and geography. Cultural learning-style factors are discussed, defining verve as energetic, intense, expressive body language linked to African American learning style. Research questions compare verve levels across student groups and test whether verve predicts achievement in reading and mathematics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Achievement Gap and Cultural Influences

Purpose and Research Questions

Verve

Verve Defined

Dimensions of African American Culture

Norvella P. Carter is a distinguished professor and endowed chair in urban education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas. Torrance N. Hawkins is lead counselor with the Channelview Independent School District, Channelview, Texas. Prathiba Natesan is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Educational and Psychological Studies at Florida International University, Miami, Florida. The Relationship between Verve and the Academic Achievement of African American Students in Reading and Mathematics in an Urban Middle School By Norvella P. Carter, Torrance N. Hawkins,& Prathiba Natesan Since its inception, the United States has struggled with its responsibility for educating African American students (Anderson, 2005; Carter, 2003; Green; 2001; Haycock, 2001). Its history of denial and discrimination in the education of Black children has created a national crisis in which academic difficulty and school failure is disproportionately high (Achilles, Finn, & Gerber, 2000; Ferguson, 2001; Green, 2001; Lee, 2002). Given almost any educational measure used to predict academic success, such as: (a) standardized test scores; (b) college and high school Grade Point Averages (GPA); and (c) graduation and dropout rates, AfricanAmerican students across the nation do not achieve academically atthe same rate as their European American counterparts (Banks & Banks, 2004; Gordon, 1999; Green, 2001; Irvine & Armento, 2001; Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Kober, 2001; Lee, 2002) . This academic lag, often referred to asthe achievement gap, exists regardless of social economic status (SES), gender, or national geographic location (Clark, 1983, 1988; Ferguson, 2001; Gordon, 1999; Haycock, 2001; Kober, 2001; Lee, 2002; Singham, 1998). The educational reports by the NationalAssessment of Educational Progress (U.S. Department of Education, 2001) indicated the trend of this academic achievement gap for the years 1971- 1999 between African American and European American students. On an average, over these 28 years, 17-year-old African American students scored 36-points lower than European American students in reading, while over the years 1973-1999, they scored 30-points lower on assessments of mathematics achievement. In an effort to improve the education of African American students, mounting evidence suggests that cultural aspects of students’ learning styles can impact achievement levels in classrooms (Hollins, 1996; Irvine, 2003). One cultural aspect that was highlighted by Boykin in the 1980s and is gaining renewed attention is verve. By definition, verve is the propensity for energetic, intense, stylistic body language and expression (Boykin, 1983). According to Boykin (1977, 1983, 2001), verve is a definite component of learning style for African American children. However, only a small body of research exists that has indicated there is a relationship between verve and increased academic achievement among students of color (Guttentag, 1972; Shade & New, 1993; Willis,1989 ) . The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between verve and the academic achievement levels of selected African American middle-school students in reading and mathematics in an urban setting. Therefore, this study was designed to answer the following research questions: (a) Were verve levels different between African American and European American students?; (b) Were verve levels different among males and females?; and (c) Was there a relationship between verve and the academic achievement of African American students in reading and mathematics? To focus on verve does not diminish the importance of other aspects of the schooling experience. Certainly, macro systems (i.e., resources, tracking programs, and curricula), as well as micro systems (i.e., instruction and teacher interactions) are pertinent. However, with the increasing emphasis on culture and culturally responsive teaching and ped

FAQs

What is the achievement gap discussed in the study?

The document describes an academic achievement gap in which African American students score lower than European American counterparts on measures such as standardized test scores, GPA, and graduation and dropout rates.

How does the document define verve?

Verve is defined as an energetic, intense, stylistic form of body language and expression, involving attending to multiple concerns and shifting focus rather than following a rigid sequence.

What research questions does the study aim to answer?

The study asks whether verve levels differ between African American and European American students, whether they differ between males and females, and whether there is a relationship between verve and academic achievement in reading and mathematics for African American students.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by moss~