Unveiling Educational Gatekeeping and Supports: High School Teachers’ Recommendation Policies and Procedures for Black and Latine/x Students

• In Event: Research In Progress Roundtables Session 4
  In Invited Roundtable: Critical Race Perspectives on Teacher Practices, Student Experiences and Learning Environments in K-12 Education (Table 4)

Abstract

As mechanisms for advocacy and information exchange, recommendation letters crucially shape Black and Latine/x students’ admissions outcomes at selective undergraduate institutions by highlighting their personal traits, achievements, and potential. Using Lipsky’s Street-Level Bureaucracy framework and Critical Race Theory, this critical qualitative study examines 44 high school teachers’ experiences with recommendation letters and the way they manage students’ letter requests. Overall, the goal of this study is to understand how recommendation letters contribute to racial gaps in college access and to identify strategies to support teachers in crafting recommendation letters with the aim of closing these gaps.

Author

• Davinia Mendoza Rodriguez-Wilhelm, University of Michigan