Reformative Methods to Close the Achievement Gap

Project Summary

Research shows that achievement in K-12 education, including high standardized test scores, high graduation rates, and low discipline rates are correlated with positive teacher student relationships, social learning programs, and reformative discipline practices. However, no research has examined peer-centered approaches, where struggling students are placed in reformative environments alongside successful and positively influential peers.

Partnering with Restorative Justice Institute (RJI), I will explore how peer-centered educational settings can affect student achievement in New York City public schools. My research will help RJI develop teacher training programs to better serve students in the NYC public school system.

Researcher Bio

My name is Daniel Hernandez-Arroyo and I am a senior Sociology major. My qualifications from Quinnipiac University involve Research Methods, instructed by Xi Chen, and Polling/Opinion Seminar, instructed by Scott McLean. The first course taught me how to conduct sociological research, giving me positive habits, skills, and tools that I've applied to future opportunities. The polling course involved rigorous application of these practices, providing me with a high-quality experience in conducting research. 

I have completed qualified research at Farver & Heffernan Law Firm, where I used programs like LexisNexis and CTbar to research criminal law, which will translate to the skills necessary to produce a professional policy initiative.

Literature Review

Educational disparities in the U.S. create an achievement gap shaped by race, socioeconomic status, and gender. Marginalized students, especially Black and low-income students, face biased discipline, due to:

• Disciplinary choices of the school or individual teacher
• Limited support for social learning programs
• Environmental factors outside of school

Solutions include student-centered policies, cultural appreciation, and improved teacher training. Addressing bias and resource inequality can create equitable schools and help close the achievement gap.

Research Plan

Research Question: How do students and teachers experience peer-centered approaches to students’ academic performance and in-school behavior?

Independent variable: Peer-centered approaches are progressive discipline methods, teacher training, social-learning programs

Dependent Variables: Academic performance and in-school behavior refers to achievement scores and graduation rates.

I will interview 30 students and 30 teachers from various NYC public schools. I will ask about academic performance as well as various types of in-school behaviors.

Ethical issues of participants' informed consent, participants' voluntary participation, and participant’s confidentiality have been taken into consideration.

Timeline

Phase I (September 2026): Recruit students and teachers.

Phase II (October 2026 – February 2027): Interview students and teachers.

Phase III (March 2027 – May 2027): Analyze interview data.

Phase IV (June 2027): Write preliminary report; submit report to RJI for feedback.

Phase V (July 2027): Revise report based on feedback; submit final report to RJI.

Partner Organization

RJI is an organization in NY that seeks to restore school justice practices through training and resources for progressive disciplinary methods. 

My research builds on RJI’s mission to create school communities that respond to negative discipline, applying it to a hypothesis for improving social inclusion. If peer support increases student engagement, then involving more students will likely increase program participation.

Budget

Professional Application

"This project prepared me for law school and the goal of a career in educational policy by sharpening my sociological research skills and data gathering skills through interviews focused on educational disparities. Working with the Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI) provided policy analysis experience. Data analysis, report writing, and presentations enhanced my ability to communicate policy recommendations, building on prior legal research." - Daniel Hernandez-Arroyo '25

For Further Discussion

This serves as an overview of the project and does not include the complete work. To further discuss this project, please email Daniel Hernandez-Arroyo.

Course Overview

SO 400: Senior Seminar is designed as the capstone course for students majoring in sociology and gerontology. Students research a sociological or aging-related topic of their choosing and write a thesis based on their work. All senior theses represent a culmination of majors' academic experiences in the department.

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References

Vega, Desireé, James L. Moore III, and Antoinette H. Miranda. 2015. "In Their Own Words: Perceived Barriers to Achievement by African American and Latino High School Students." American Secondary Education 43(3):36-59. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43694217.

Rhoden, Stuart. 2017. “Trust Me, You Are Going to College”: How Trust Influences Academic Achievement in Black Males. The Journal of Negro Education 86(1):52–64. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7709/jnegroeducation.86.1.0052.

Ford Jr., J. M., Jones, M. H., & Alexander, J. M. (2015). After-School Interests, Achievement Goal Orientation, and Peers in a Predominantly African American School. The Journal of Negro Education, 84(4), 547-563. https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.84.4.0547.