The Piney Woods School: An Exploration of the Historically Black Boarding School Experience in Shaping Student Achievement, Cultural Esteem, and Collegiate Integration

Abstract

This qualitative case study explores the cultural impact the Piney Woods School, a historically Black independent boarding school, had on the social and academic experiences of four of its graduates in attendance at two traditionally White universities. The article discusses the collegiate experiences of four students: Samantha, Ira, Tony, and Bobby. Though their individual collegiate experiences markedly differ from each other, their experiences reflect overall the historically Black boarding school experience as instrumental in shaping student achievement, cultural esteem, and sense of belonging. Studies that explore the secondary school experience, such as the historically Black boarding school, continue to provide other contexts in which to examine how school environment can negatively or positively influence African American students’ achievement in college, particularly at traditionally White colleges and universities.