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When Journalism and Scholarship Collide: A Critical Analysis of Newsweek’s Annual Report on America’s Top High Schools

Schneider, Carri Anne
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1178554216

Abstract Details

2007, EdD, University of Cincinnati, Education : Urban Educational Leadership.
This study seeks to systematically uncover one part of the complex organism of systemic racism by analyzing the way in which the popular media defines the success of the public school in order to theorize possible explanations for the pervasiveness of educational inequality. Using Newsweek’s report on America’s “Top” High Schools, this research raises awareness to the reality of educational inequality in contrast to the myths created and sustained by the general media and current trends in classifying educational success. The study has three concomitant purposes: to analyze the way in which academic excellence and the educational success of schools are currently defined in American discourse; to investigate the attention of the media related to educational inequality; and to call for a deeper and broader response to educational inequality by grounding the debate in theoretical notions from Critical Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Critical Race Theory. After a review of the literature related to educational inequality, the author launches the investigation into Newsweek magazine, its annual high school report, and the schools on its 2006 list. By presenting additional educational information on the Top 10 schools on Newsweek’s 2006 list, significant gaps in student achievement and student composition reveal that educational inequality is not a factor in determining overall quality according to Newsweek’s criteria. Information related to the debate surrounding Newsweek’s report provides evidence that issues related to educational equality remain largely unaddressed by the dominant discourse. The broad implications are discussed in the context of key components from Critical Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Critical Race Theory such as hegemony, ideology, discourse, the purpose of education, race as factor of inequity, and the role of counter-storytelling. Through an analysis of Newsweek, its annual report, and the debate surrounding it, the author concludes that Newsweek’s annual high school report represents perceptions about American education and educational success that largely support the perpetuation of educational inequality. This realization necessitates that we re-conceptualize our understanding of the way educational inequality is sustained and redefine American perceptions about what constitutes educational success and the true purpose of public education.
Dr. Kent Seidel (Advisor)
154 p.
achievement gap; media; critical theory; critical pedagogy; critical race theory; systemic racism; rank; high school; Advanced Placement; Newsweek; social justice

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Schneider, C. A. (2007). When Journalism and Scholarship Collide: A Critical Analysis of Newsweek’s Annual Report on America’s Top High Schools [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1178554216

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Schneider, Carri. When Journalism and Scholarship Collide: A Critical Analysis of Newsweek’s Annual Report on America’s Top High Schools . 2007. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1178554216.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Schneider, Carri. "When Journalism and Scholarship Collide: A Critical Analysis of Newsweek’s Annual Report on America’s Top High Schools ." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1178554216

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1178554216
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© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.