Teacher Expectations: The Relationship Between Student Race, School Setting and Educational Attainment

• In Event: 523 - Section on Sociology of Education Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 03.The Role and Influence of Teachers: Session I

Abstract

Increased class integration practices, coupled with greater racial-ethnic diversity in schools and workplaces, calls into question whether teachers hold differential expectations for students based on their racial-ethnic background and whether those expectations have any meaningful effect on student outcomes. Drawing on the ELS: 2002, I find that 10th grade math teachers do not hold racially-biased student expectations when holding students’ previous math performance as well as teachers’ own perceptions of students’ effort constant. Moreover, teachers have higher expectations for black students after controlling for school characteristics. This study also reveals a positive relationship between teacher expectations and students’ educational outcomes. I discuss some implications of these preliminary analyses along with future considerations.

Authors

• Alma Nidia Garza, University of California - Irvine

• Nicholas J. Graham, University of California-Irvine