Supporting School Belonging Among Black Students: Culturally Responsive Practices from Nominated Exemplar Teachers

Research suggests that school belonging is critical to Black students' wellbeing, although deficit perspectives have long dominated this discourse. While teachers are lauded as integral in supporting school belonging, there is an increased emphasis on the need for culturally responsive practices. However, it remains unclear how teachers use culturally responsive practices to support Black students' sense of school belonging, thus mitigating risk. This study used nominated exemplar teachers' perspectives (n = 15) to identify culturally responsive practices for supporting school belonging among Black students. Thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed practices implemented across ecological levels of schooling contexts (i.e., teachers, teaching, classrooms, schools). Specifically, culturally responsive practices included: 1) Educate yourself on the experiences of your students, 2) Practice empathy and model vulnerability, 3) Encourage cultural humility and connection, 4) Center equity and wellbeing in classroom norms, 5) Prioritize diversity in leadership, 6) Provide professional development for teachers, and 7) Implement restorative practices. The findings from this study can shift how educators, school leaders, and researchers understand Black students' risk for poor school belonging by identifying practices that may be implemented across levels of schooling contexts to support this critical process.