District-Level Variation in Black Students' Academic Improvement

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Measuring Black Educational Justice: Data, Discipline, and Disparities

Abstract

This study examines district-level variability in improvement rates for Black students' academic performance across U.S. public school districts, focusing on standardized test scores in mathematics and Reading Level Assessment (RLA) for grades 3-8 (2008/2009-2018/2019). Using data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) and multilevel modeling, results reveal significant heterogeneity: some districts showed substantial progress, while others experienced declines, with a gap of nearly .31 grade levels between the highest- and lowest-performing districts. These findings highlight the importance of district-specific dynamics in shaping Black student outcomes, moving beyond traditional focuses on family and community factors.

Authors

• Darnell Leatherwood, University of Michigan

• Faeze Safari, University of Connecticut

• Jennifer Aracely Rodriguez, University of Michigan Ann Arbor