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Abstract
The educational system in the United States (U.S.) is not as competitive as it is in other industrialized nations around the world with regard to the quality or quantity of graduates produced (OECD, 2016). This discrepancy is considered to be a gap between the skill level of workers needed and high school graduates in the U.S. The unprepared workers in this country are also considered to be a burden on the economy. Minority students are especially vulnerable to dropping out of school or failing to achieve their full academic potential, therefore highlighting equity concerns in the design and implementation of the current K-12 public education system. One potential solution for this disconnect is the development of career academies, or schools within schools, in U.S. high schools. This solution could provide students with more individualized, career-focused education. Brick Road High School is one such high school that is attempting to use a career-focused school within a school to address these many concerns. Brick Road High School has both a high poverty and high transient population with a low graduation rate. Research shows that career focused schools have had positive effects in similar populations. This research project uses an action research process. Through a number of qualitative and quantitative data sources three research questions were analyzed and produced positive results for career academies impact on Black and Hispanic males academic achievement.