School Success Attitudes and Classroom Racial Diversity

• In Event: Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: School Demographics and Social Opportunity

Abstract

Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class (ECLS-K 2011) first grade data measures of school-success attitudes in "Big Five" personality traits conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness are created using Item Response Theory partial credit multidimential Rasch models. These measures are compared to determine if certain levels of classroom diversity or racial composition eliminate or exacerbate racial differences in school-success attitudes. Conscientiousness is found to be significantly correlated with standardized test scores. EAPs on all three personality dimensions of school-success attitudes are higher in diverse classrooms. White students are the only group that benefits from having a majority of their own race in the classroom. Implications for further research are discussed.

Author

• Odelia Simon, University of California - Santa Barbara