High School Principal Beliefs and Their Impact on Students' Course Selection Processes (Poster 4)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Two
  In Poster Session: Teachers and School Leaders: Realities and Complexities in Today's Educational System

Abstract

This study’s purpose is to better understand the extent to which principals’ beliefs about students of color influence the racial opportunity cost students endure during the course selection process. It examines the hypothesis that when school leaders’ beliefs and values are in direct conflict with those of the students they serve, the “cost” that students of color, specifically, pay can be magnified. This study draws on qualitative methods to examine the “racial opportunity cost” students face during the course selection process in a racialized, White-normed school setting. Findings show that, even in a district committed to expanding access, administrators’ deficit thinking and microaggressions limited advanced learning opportunities for students of color. We conclude with recommendations for policy and practice.

Authors

• Briana Morales, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author

• Dillin Randolph, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author

• Rachel Roegman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author