White Racial Identity Moderating Student Race and Ability and Educator Expectations for Discipline

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 2:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Approaches to Reimagining Teacher Education (Table 6)

Abstract

The opportunity gap between Black and White students persists despite awareness of racial bias in classroom discipline. Many K-12 schools use training to address these disparities, but these have been ineffective due to a lack of awareness of how educators' identities impact their classrooms. This study examines how White Racial Identity development affects racial bias in educators' discipline expectations. It explores the moderating role of White preservice educator racial identity profiles on the relationship between student race/ability and educator expectations for future office discipline referral, using vignettes of mildly disruptive student behavior. Two profiles emerged from a latent profile analysis and were modeled as a moderator. Results indicated that high White racial identity may mitigate bias in discipline expectations.

Authors

• Amy E. Fisher, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Inés Botto, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Margaret Kerr, University of Wisconsin - Madison