CHRISTOPHER DUNBAR Jr., Ph.D.
PROFESSOR
334 Education ▪ University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign Illinois, 61822
Phone: (217)-300-3775 ▪ Fax: (217) (-244-5632 ▪ Email:
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Educational Policy Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998
M.A. Educational Foundations
California State University of Los Angeles, 1994
B.A. Political Science
California State University of Los Angeles, 1979
Ph.D. Dissertation
My dissertation entitled Alternative Education: Does Anyone Know We’re Here? An Interpretive Ethnography of the Experiences of African American Male Students in a Midwest Alternative School Environment examined the experiences of African American male students, who resist the traditional school culture and as a result are mandated to alternative school environments.
PUBLICATIONS
Books, Monographs, & Research Reports
Dunbar, C., Jr. (2015). (Research Report). For Naught: How Zero Tolerance Policy and School Police Practices Imperil Our Students’ Future. ACLU of Michigan. pp. 1-16. http://www.aclumich.org/sites/default/files/2015-ACLUMichigan-AllForNaught.pdf
Dunbar, C. Jr., (2004) Classroom Management (Monograph). East Lansing, MI. Michigan State University Outreach.
Dunbar, C. Jr. (2001). African American Males and Alternative Education: Does Anyone Know We're Here? New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishers.
Book Chapters
Boggs, B., Dunbar, C, Jr., (2015). An Interpretive History of Urban Education and Leadership in the Age of Perceived Racial Invisibility. In M.Khalifa, A.Witherspoon-Arnold, A.Onsaloo, & C. Grant (Eds.). Handbook on Urban Education Leadership. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Potter, H., Boggs, B., and Dunbar, C. (2017). Discipline and Punishment: How Schools are Building the Prison Pipeline. In N. Okilwa, M. Khalifa, & F. Briscoe (Eds.), The School to Prison Pipeline: The Role of Culture & Discipline in School. Bingley, United Kingdom: Emerald Books.
Khalifa, M, Dunbar, C. Douglas, TR (2013). In Derrick Bell CRT and Educational Leadership 1995-present. Race Ethnicity and Education.16 (4), 489-513.
Dunbar, C. Jr. McNeal, L. (2012). A Path of their Own. A Grassroots Approach to NCLB Manates. In Moore, J., and Lewis, C. (Eds.) Urban School Contexts for African American Students: Crisis and Prospects for Improvement. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Dunbar, C. Jr., (2008). Critical Race Theory and Indigenous Methodologies. (pp.85-99) In N.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook on Critical Race Theory and Indigenous Methodologies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Plank, D. N., Dunbar, C. Jr., (2007) No Remedy Left Behind. (pp. 202-224.) In F. Hess and C. Finn No Remedy Left Behind. AEI Press.
Dunbar, C. Jr., (2006). Un-packing a Double-Consciousness: The Only Negro in the Class. (Pp. 181-191). In N.K., Denzin, and M., Giardina. (Eds.) Contesting Empire: Globalizing Dissent Cultural Studies After 9/11. Boulder/London. Paradigm Publishers.
Plank, D. N., Dunbar, C. Jr., (2005). False Start in Michigan. (pp.137-160.) In F.Hess, and C. Finn (Eds.) Leaving No Child Left Behind (NCLB). New York, NY. Palgrave MacMillan.
Villarruel, F. A., Outlay, C. W., Dunbar, C. Jr., and Montero-Sieburth, M. (2005). Dorothy, There is no Yellow Brick Road: The Paradox of Community Youth Development Approaches for Latino and African American Urban Youth (pp. 111-130). In J. L. Mahoney, J. Eccles, & R. Larson (Eds.), Organized Activities as Contexts of Development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates.
Dunbar, C. Jr., and Mabokela, R.O. (2003). I’m Gonna be Somebody: Dashed Hopes and Withered Dreams (pp.175-191). In C.C Yeakey and R. D Henderson (Eds.) Surmounting the Odds Equalizing Educational Opportunity in the New Millennium? Greenwich Connecticut.
Dunbar, C. Jr., (2002). Three Short Stories. (pp. 130-140). Reprinted in N.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Qualitative Inquiry Reader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Dunbar, C. Jr. Rodriguez, D. Parker, L., (2001). Race, Subjectivity, and the Interview Process. (pp. 279-298). In J. Gubrium & J. Holstein (Eds.), The Handbook of Interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Dunbar, C. Jr., and Clift, R. (1997). Investigating Perceptions and Interpretations: Meaning Making and the SOAP Assessment Process (pp. 105-126). Schools Organizations Interpretations. CIRCE.
Refereed Articles
McNeal, L., Dunbar, C. Jr. (2010) In the Eyes of the Beholder: Urban Student Perceptions of Zero Tolerance Policy. Urban Education 44 (6).
Villarruel, F.A.and Dunbar, C. Jr., (2006). Culture, Race, and Zero Tolerance Policy: The Implications. Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice 6 (2), pp. 53-63.
Dunbar, C Jr., and Villarruel, F.A. (2004). What a Difference a Community Makes: Urban and Rural School Leaders and the Implementation of Zero Tolerance. Equity and Excellence in Education, 37: pp. 351-359.
Dunbar, C Jr., (2003). A Shadow That Clouds My View. Qualitative Inquiry 1 (9), pp. 15-17.
Dunbar, C Jr., and Villarruel, F.A. (2002). Urban School Leaders and the Implementation of Zero Tolerance Policy: An Examination of its Implications. Peabody Journal of Education 77, pp.82-104.
Dunbar, C Jr. (2002). Alternative School Administrators “At Risk”: What does it mean for children? Trotter Review 14 (1), pp. 105-120.
Dunbar, C Jr. (2001) From Alternative School to Incarceration. Qualitative Inquiry 7 (3), pp. 158-170.
Dunbar, C Jr. (2000). Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen. Cultural Studies 5, pp. 57-62.
Dunbar, C Jr., (1999). Three Short Stories. Qualitative Inquiry 5 (1), pp. 130-140.
Dunbar, C Jr., (1999). The Politics of Participation in School Reform: African American males and Participation: Promising Inclusion Practicing Exclusion. Theory Into Practice 38 (4), pp. 241-246.
Technical Reports
Walker, N. E., Lambert, A., Hahn, H. A., Villarruel, F. A., Dunbar, C., Borden, L., Holland, P., Derezinski, T., Zwifler, R., and Zehnder-Merrell, R. (2003). Zero tolerance policies and their impact on Michigan students. Michigan Public Policy Initiative Spotlight on Research Brief. Available at www.mnaonline.org
Walker, N.E., Lambert, A. Hahn, H.A., Villarruel, F. A., and Dunbar C. (2002). Do Michigan’s “Zero Tolerance” Policies Benefit Public Education and Safety? Center for Family and Children Together (FACT). Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Walker, N.E., Lambert, A. Hahn, H.A., Villarruel, F. A., and Dunbar C. (2002). Little Tolerance for Zero Tolerance. Institute of Public Policy and Social Research. Michigan State University, East Lansing.
GRANTS
2011-2012
Principal Investigator. Teacher and Principal Observation and Evaluation Study funded by the US Department of Education. $ 1,994,000. The goal is to assess and improve Teacher Practice in twenty urban charter schools in Michigan utilizing the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. Additionally, the team will evaluate the performance of Principals using Val Ed Assessment of Leadership in Education.
2009-2010
Towards a Framework from Enhancing the Academic, Interpersonal, and Socio–Emotional Lives of Boys of Color. Funded by Families and Communities Together FACT. $50,000. (Farrell, P. McKinney, M., Dunbar, C.,) The goal of this project is to identify a set of factors that contribute to the current status of boys of color and use these factors as a starting point for proposing intervention goals to address the problems.
2008-2009
Principal Investigator (with Reitumetse Mabokela) MSU/BES3/NIED. Collaboration to Strengthen Continuous Professional Development in Teacher Training Colleges. Funded by USAID/ the Academy for Educational Development, Washington D.C. ($283,148).
The goal of this project was to develop and enhance context specific knowledge among the National Institute for Educational development (NIED) staff to support their work with the Continuous Professional Development plans of the colleges of education in Namibia.
2007
Towards a Framework from Enhancing the Academic, Interpersonal, and Socio–Emotional Lives of Boys of Color.
Funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation $540,000. (Farrell, P., Dunbar, C., Johnson, D.) The goal of this project is to identify a set of factors that contribute to the current status of boys of color and use these factors as a starting point for proposing intervention goals to address the problems.
2006
Building Campus-to-Campus Partnerships to Serve Community Needs. Funded by the National Science Foundation. $25,000. ( Fitzgerald, H., Villarruel, F., Thomas, J., Dunbar, C., Suvedi, M., VanEgeren, L., Foster-Fishman, P.) The goals of the partnership are to develop a core of Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) faculty who are trained in community based research while simultaneously developing a network of Michigan State University and HBCU Faculty partnerships that will sustain training sexperiences and stimulate collaborative research projects in geographic areas served by HBCU.
2006-2008
Principal Investigator with D. Anagaostopoulous. Future Teachers for Social Justice. Renewed funding by The Skillman Foundation. $305,000. This goal of this grant is to recruit and encourage a cadre of Detroit Public High School students to attend college and eventually become teachers in Detroit Public Schools. The students are involved in a year around program that provides training on methods of collecting oral histories in their community. They are trained on methods of conducting analysis and most importantly trained on how to critically think about issues that impact their communities,
2005-2006
Principal Investigator with D. Anagaostopoulous.
Future Teachers for Social Justice. Funded by The Skillman Foundation. ($130,000). This grant proposed to increase the academic readiness and commitment of Detroit Public Schools (DPS) students to purse a career in teaching in urban schools. The FTSJ does this through involving DPS 11th and 12th graders in a yearlong academic enrichment program that includes a community-based research/advocacy project and a mentoring program. The program’s central goal is to recruit and support Detroit youth interested in becoming high quality teachers for the DPS and who are committed to providing students rigorous instruction and to acting as advocates for their students and communities.
2005
Principal Investigator with J. Barnes. Documenting Progress and Demonstrating Results: Evaluating Bridges to the Future. Funded by Families and Communities Together (FACT). $50,000. The evaluation team assessed the extent to which the Bridges to the Future (BTF) program had met the needs of children and families in the community through quality before and after school programs. The goal was to garner an understanding of the extent to which the developmental needs of youth were met through core asset building and competencies that may ensure successful participation in adolescent and adult life.
2003
Principal Investigator: Positive Behavior Support and Mid Michigan Public School Academy. A Qualitative Evaluation. Funded by US Department of Education Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Program ($22,000). The evaluation of the Positive Behavior Support Program focused on the impact of counseling efforts in the context of a social skills curriculum to reduce inappropriate behavior and to enhance academic performance of students enrolled in Mid Michigan Public School Academy. In addition, the evaluation team assessed social behaviors among students, staff and administrators. We sought to evaluate the extent to which families were engaged with school activities and program utilization.
2003
21st Century Community Learning Center State Evaluation. $1,000,000. (with Van Egeren L., Reed, C., Villarruel, F., Dunbar, C., Smith, B., Baker, D., Fitzgerald, H., Mark, C., Post, L., Bates, L). Funded by the Michigan Department of Education. The goal of this grant was to assess the impact of 21st Century after school programs had on the academic and social development of children in the communities served.
2000
Principal Investigator: Impact of Zero Tolerance Legislation on Students, Families and Communities in Flint, Michigan. $25,000. Funded by Educational Policy Center Michigan State University. The purpose of this grant was to understand how school leaders interpreted zero tolerance policies, how they modified these policies to address contextual dimensions of their environments, and how zero tolerance policy was subsequently implemented in rural school communities.
1999
Principal Investigator with F. Villarruel: Impact of Zero Tolerance Legislation on Students, Families and Communities of Michigan. $25,000. Funded by Families and Communities Together (FACT). The purpose of this grant was to understand how school leaders interpreted zero tolerance policies, how they modified these policies to address contextual dimensions of their environments, and how zero tolerance policy was subsequently implemented in urban communities.
HONORS AND AWARDS
· Awarded the Crystal Apple College of Education Michigan State University 2008.
· Leadership Fellow: Committee on Institutional Cooperation (Big Ten Universities), 2005-06
· AERA Minority Scholar Workshop Grant, 1997
· Educational Testing Service (ETS) Pre-Doctoral Fellowship: Partnered with senior ETS
· Researcher on NAEP Assessment project. Oakland, CA, summer 1996
· Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society, 1994-1995
· Graduate College Fellow: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1994-1998
· Graduate College Conference Travel Grant 1996
· Pacific Bell Scholarship: California State University at Los Angeles, 1992
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Professor with Tenure: Department of Educational Administration, August 2010-present
Michigan State University, East Lansing
Coordinator: Urban Education Specialization in College of Education, 2011-present
Associate Professor with Tenure: Department of Educational Administration, August 2004-2010
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
Assistant Professor: Department of Education Administration, August 2000-2004
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
Tenure awarded June 2004
Visiting Assistant Professor: Department of Educational Administration August 1998-2000
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
Have taught the following graduate level courses:
Issues in Urban Education (hybrid online and face-to-face course)
Factors that Contribute to Persistent Racial Achievement Gap
Schools, Families and Communities
Organizational Theory
Education Research in Educational Administration
Qualitative Research Methodology
Australian Study Abroad faculty coordinator (2002- 2004)
Leadership and Organizational Development
Conduct research on topics including: 1) Urban school leadership; 2) Non-traditional qualitative research methods and representation; 3) Education reform and its’ relationship to improving academic outcomes for children attending urban schools; Improving educational outcomes for underrepresented student populations; and 4) Classroom management. 5) History of the creation of urban schools and communities.
Advise MA and doctoral students in the department of educational administration and education policy, as well as other department on campus, and direct and serve as a member on dissertation committees.
Provide service to the K-12 unit, the Department of Educational Administration, the college and the university, as well as national organizations.
• Education Placement Counselor, Summer 1995 and Summer 1997
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
• Special Education Teacher, 1991-1994
San Pedro Academy, Los Angeles, CA
• Substitute Teacher, 1990-1991
Inglewood Unified School District, Inglewood, CA
• Coordinating/ Scheduling Analyst, 1987-1992
Walsh & Associates, Los Angeles, CA
• Manager, 1983-1987
Lanendock Inc., Rochester, NY
• Advertising Account Executive, 1979-1983
Gannett Rochester Newspapers, Rochester, NY
GRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE