African-Centered Schooling in Theory and Practice

The African American Immersion Schools Evaluation Project could not have been completed without the support and help of a number of people. We are pleased to take this opportunity to thank some of those who made it possible.

First, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the African American Immersion elementary school and the African American Immersion middle school. The administrators, teachers, and staff, as well as the students, always welcomed us, answered our questions patiently, and cooperated with our requests. In addition, we thank the parents of the students and the community members involved with the schools for their help in providing information to us.

We recognize that the immense task of documenting and evaluating these two schools during the five-year period of the study could not have been possible without extramural support. A grant from the Joyce Foundation of Chicago undergirded the project. A special thank you goes to Dr. Warren Chapman from the Program Office for his unwavering support of the project. In additon, we are grateful for funds from the Bader Foundation and the Milwaukee Education Trust for their support of specific project activities.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee also contributed to our efforts. We appreciate the support from the School of Education and the College of Letters and Sciences, the Center for Teacher Education, Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, the UW System, the Institute for Race and Ethnicity, and the office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor. We are also grateful for the hard work of the clerical staff and students who worked with us on the project.

Finally, we thank our families.

Cheryl: To my grandmother, Mrs. Luvera Ridgeway, and the memory of my mother and father. Thank you for the guidance and support over the years. To my

-xi-