Racial Compass: Examining How Schools’ Racial Features Signal and Sort (Poster 20)

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work Poster Session

Abstract

Policymakers invoke school racial climate concerns to anchor advocacy and dissent for equity educational policies (i.e.changing school names from racial figures, ethnic studies curricula, recruiting Black and Latine principals); yet, we have little causal evidence on what these features signal to families. To examine whether school racialized cues and racial composition influence parents’ school climate perceptions and school preferences, I conduct survey experiments with parents. Respondents evaluate school profiles with randomly varied quality ratings, socioeconomic and racial compositions, and one racialized cue (school names, ethnic studies requirements, principals race/ethnicity). By using an experimental design, this study isolates the role of racial composition and other racialized cues in shaping families’ anticipated ‘fit’ and racial marginalization and their willingness to attend schools.

Author

• Chantal A. Hailey, University of Texas at Austin