Dissonance or Consonance: Educational Leadership and Black Girls in the Context of Neoliberal Science Education

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to examine the role of neoliberal reasoning in practices impacting science access, participation, and achievement for Black girls in K–12 public education. By situating science education in a neoliberal context, extant literature and study findings indicate that neoliberal ideas construct science education by influencing how instructional leaders facilitate access to advanced courses in science and mathematics. This paper examines aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by exploring how school administrators articulate principles of instructional leadership to facilitate access and successful participation for Black female students in Advanced Placement mathematics and science (APSTEM) courses that influence college preparation and career trajectories in the STEM field (Carter, 2016; Kyburg, Hertberg-Davis & Callahan, 2007; Sharma, 2016). The perspectives and practices of the instructional leaders are juxtaposed with the experiences of Black girls currently and previously enrolled in AP STEM courses to explore how the current practices utilized by instructional leaders fit the academic and social-emotional needs of Black female students.