Why We Can’t Wait: A Guide for Black Student Achievement Programs

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article describes service design, curriculum and instruction, scholar identity development, social and emotional needs, connecting the home and community, and partnerships for Black students in K-12th grade settings. Furthermore, it argues the implications of the foundation of BSAPs centers on African American culture, language, knowledge, and values.  The topic of the article is highly relevant for the journal. The literature is adequately referenced.  The smoothness of the paper is readible and accessible for a non-academic audience. The article requires a few revisions about extending the literature with the contributions of adult educators who are investigating the field of anti-racist education, such as Brookfield and Hess (2021). 

 

 

Author Response

We wanted to express our sincere gratitude for taking the time to review our article titled  "Why We Can’t Wait: A Guide for Black Student Achievement Programs" for the special edition issue. Your feedback and insights have been invaluable, and we truly appreciate your thoughtful analysis of our work.

We are pleased to hear that you found the topic of our article highly relevant for the journal. This affirmation reinforces our belief in the significance of addressing the educational needs of Black students in K-12 settings and the importance of centering their culture, language, knowledge, and values within our educational systems.

Your remarks about the literature references and the readability of the paper for a non-academic audience are encouraging. Ensuring accessibility to a wider readership was one of our primary goals, and it is gratifying to know that we have achieved this to some extent.

Your suggestion to extend the literature by including the contributions of adult educators who are investigating the field of anti-racist education, such as Brookfield and Hess (2021), is highly valuable. We will certainly incorporate their work into the article to strengthen the theoretical framework and provide a more comprehensive analysis of the subject matter.

Your expertise and insights have undoubtedly enhanced the quality of our article, and we are grateful for your dedication to advancing scholarship in this field.

Thank you again,

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The thematic of the article is relevant och the article can contribute to develop scientific knowledge on equity with focus on Black Student Achievement Programs

However  the aim of the article is not clear.The article referred and cited earlier research as strategy for the argumentation without problematizing the choice of references.  No methodological section is included. The author needs to inform the reader more about  the aims of the article and how she/he build the argumentation. 

 

 

 

Author Response

We appreciate your thoughtful review of our article titled "Why We Can’t Wait: A Guide for Black Student Achievement Programs" for the special edition issue. Your feedback is valuable, and we would like to address some of your concerns.

 

Firstly, we want to clarify that we were invited to contribute to this special edition, and based on the invitation and prior communications, we were not under the impression that the article needed to be empirical or based on an experimental study. Our intention was to provide a conceptual exploration of the National Black Student Achievement Program Standards, emphasizing their implications and relevance. These standards have been developed through a comprehensive meta-analysis of existing literature, and as such, our article aligns with a meta-analytical approach rather than an empirical one.

Regarding the clarity of our article's aim, we acknowledge your concern and understand that it may not have been explicitly stated. We will revise the article to provide a clear and concise statement of our aims, outlining the focus on the National Black Student Achievement Program Standards and their significance in promoting equity and academic success for Black students in K-12 settings. Additionally, we will enhance our argumentation by elaborating on the choice of references and providing more context to support our claims.

While it is true that our article does not include a traditional methodological section, this is because our work is rooted in the synthesis of existing research, as mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, we will make an effort to elucidate our approach in the revised manuscript, highlighting the process of developing the National Black Student Achievement Program Standards based on the meta-analysis of relevant literature.

We appreciate your feedback and believe that your insights will help us improve the clarity and coherence of our article. We are committed to addressing your concerns and enhancing the overall quality of our contribution to this special edition. Thank you for your time and engagement with our work. We have submitted a revised manuscript that aligns more closely with your expectations.

Thank you again,