Communicating Racial Theory in Effectiveness Work: A QuantCrit Imperative

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Race, Identity, and Equity in Education: QuantCrit Perspectives on Theory, Teacher Practices, and Student Outcomes (Table 8)

Abstract

In this paper, we argue that there is a pressing responsibility of any using race as a variable to be clear about the racial theory, lest they leave dominating uncritical and essentialist racial theories unchallenged. This paper combines theoretical argument with an empirical analysis of effectiveness work. Our empirical investigation reviews existing quantitative effectiveness research and the given theoretical explanations for why race was included in analyses in order to ask: To what extent do published educational effectiveness studies engage with racial theory? The results highlight the relative dearth of efforts in this regard; the explanation of racial theory is very rare. As such, this article is structured pedagogically to inspire thoughtfulness and reflective change in quantitative researchers.

Authors

• Richard Blissett, University of Maryland - Baltimore County

• Shuyang Wang, The Governor's Office of Student Achievement (GA)

• Daniel Broxton Schultz, University of Georgia

• Roberto Ortiz, Indiana University