Measuring Classroom Quality with a Racial Equity Focus: The Assessing Classroom Sociocultural Equity Scale (ACSES)-Global

• In Event: Improving our Lens: Innovative Measures for Understanding Early Childhood Classrooms, Leaders, and Transitions

Abstract

Studies have shown that instructional quality is related to children’s learning and achievement (Decristan et al, 2016; Stipek & Chiatovich, 2017). Yet, researchers have reported low instructional quality in early childhood and elementary classrooms, particularly among low-income racially and ethnically diverse children (Pianta et al., 2005; Hoglund et al., 2015). This missed opportunity for learning contributes to the documented achievement gap between racially marginalized children and their White peers—a gap that persists even when socioeconomic status is accounted for (Little, 2017). This calls for an intentional focus on the impact of racism in the classroom. For this reason, the Assessing Classroom Sociocultural Equity Scale (ACSES)-Global was developed to help teachers change their teaching practices so that they can create classroom environments that help racially marginalized children reach their full potential. ACSES-Global is a classroom observation tool that can be used to measure classroom quality with a racial equity focus. Specifically, it is a measure of the racial climate in the classroom and an assessment of the frequency and distribution of teachers’ interactions with all racially marginalized learners (RMLs). ACSES-Global combines features of traditional process quality (such as emotional and instructional climate) and adds an aspect of racial climate, effectively filling a unique void in the measurement of classroom quality.

Consisting of 40 items across six domains believed to undergird sociocultural equitable interactions, ACSES-Global provides an overall view of 1) what the learning environment is like for RMLs and 2) what teaching behaviors and learning experiences are directed toward all children in the classroom and RMLs specifically. The current paper employed confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling to verify the model fit of the ACSES-Global.

A secondary data analysis was conducted from two samples (N=390). Both samples contained video recordings from preschool classroom instruction. Sample 1 (n=273) contained selected video recordings from the efficacy trial of the My Teaching Partner-Mathematics/Science (MTP-M/S) project (Whittaker et al., 2019). Sample 2 (n=117) was drawn from a larger research project on teacher-child interactions assessing quality of classroom discourse before and after teachers received professional development on facilitating classroom conversations (Curenton, 2019).

An examination of the target-rotated factor matrix shows that generally, items from the Challenging Status Quo Knowledge, Equitable Learning Opportunities for RMLs, Personalized Learning Opportunities, Inequitable Discipline, Connection to Home Life, and RMLs Participation and Engagement dimensions loaded onto their hypothesized factors. Items under the Challenging Status Quo Knowledge dimension that were dropped in analyses have been included in the measure based on their theoretical and practical value. Inclusion of these items will inform professional development efforts to the need of including activities and lessons that center around fairness and equity in early childhood classrooms.

By identifying inequities in the classroom for RMLs and developing a deeper understanding of their relationships and interactions with RMLs, ACSES-Global sets the stage to prepare educators to embrace an anti-racist pedagogy.

Authors

• Gullnar Syed, SRI International - District of Columbia
  Presenting Author

• Stephanie Michelle Curenton, Boston University

• Sheniqua Jeffrey, Fordham University

• Cecilia Jarquin Tapia, Boston University