An excerpt of “Cultural Responsiveness, Racial Identity, and Academic Success”, Mary Stone Hanley and George W. Noblit (pgs. 65-71)

Although the larger study focused primarily on African Americans the prevailing themes have broader implications. Specifically in the aforementioned excerpts the study demonstrates the power the arts have to frame cultural and self-identity and how this ultimately leads to academic achievement. The findings are based on the belief that America’s urban schools must employ a child’s culture so that the child might be motivated to learn in the face of significant adversity (i.e. conditions surrounding Priority Schools).