What Gets Measured Gets Studied: A Review of Dataset Use in Research on Black Students

• In Event: Studying Black Students in Context

Abstract

While national datasets are widely used in education research, little attention is focused on how these data and their uses structure the study of Black students. Guided by QuantCrit, we systematically reviewed 89 peer-reviewed quantitative articles that utilize national education datasets (2005-2025), analyzing how Black students are categorized as the primary focus or secondary/comparative group. Findings reveal that over time, more researchers are studying Black students as a secondary category rather than central subjects of inquiry. This study offers a first step toward rethinking how national data systems shape the representation of Black students in quantitative research and calls for a broader agenda that links data practices, collection, interpretation, and design to the pursuit of racial justice.

Authors

• Jada Sims, University of California - Los Angeles

• Imani Dixon, University of California - Los Angeles

• Neven Matthew Holland, University of California - Los Angeles

• Jaylen Lowe, UCLA