The Persistence of Oppression: A Systematic Review of Racialized Academic Devaluation in K-12 Schools, 1971-2024

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: CERECG SIG Round Table 5: Critical Race Analysis in Education Research (Table 6)

Abstract

Racialized academic evaluation, perceptions of academic ability, and grading practices are mechanisms of academic devaluation yet receive scant attention in research. This project presents a systematic critical review to parse empirical studies on these mechanisms from 1971 to 2024, highlighting their role in oppression and the pervasive social silence surrounding them. From a Black Feminist and Radical tradition, our review offers a historically contextualized, conceptually nuanced, and genealogically comprehensive analysis of the phenomena. Focusing on the U.S. as a primary seat of White Supremacy, this review answers the question: What does the existing empirical literature reveal about racialized academic evaluation, racialized academic perceptions, and racialized grading in K-12 U.S. schools? We conclude by providing future directions for research and practice.

Authors

• Dennis Williams, University of Virginia

• Shaunquitta Wright, University of Virginia

• Kiana Bradford, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Tiffany Meadows, University of Virginia