We Hear You: Amplifying Participants’ Voices in Race-Focused Survey Development

• In Event: Conducting Race-Focused Survey Research in the P–20 System During the Anti-Woke Political Revolt

Abstract

In response to the growing concerns related to racial equity in education, namely P-12 school leadership, the We LEED research team is developing and validating a survey instrument that will help to (1) identify potential principal candidates of color and those with what we will delineate as high-, mid-, and low-levels of Knowledge, Beliefs, and Mindsets (KBMs) about equity, and (2) determine equity gaps in KBMs among pre- and in-service educators that might be addressed in educator professional learning and development. Our target audience includes pre-service and in-service teachers, pre service school leaders, and practicing school administrators. As part of the validation process, we are first piloting the survey with a sample of our target audience located in the Northeast and Southeast regions of the country (see Figure 1) before we administer the survey nationally.
In addition to completing the survey, participants in this phase of the study are also participating in either a focus group or cognitive interview to help our team fine-tune the survey scale by gathering a deeper understanding of KBMs among diverse subgroups. During the interviews, we are focusing on listening intently to participants to build rich descriptive data to inform the quality of the instrument. Specifically, the interview data are helping us gather important insights from participants about the survey questions’ (1) content, (2) clarity, and (3) timespan.
In this paper, we analyze the research team’s inputs, outputs, and outcomes related to constructing the pre-pilot and pilot quantitative instrument for measuring racial equity in education. Additionally, this paper highlights what we learned throughout the

survey development process when administering the survey and conducting cognitive interviews concurrently.

Authors

• Christopher E. Darby, ARE-LO Strategies

• Ira E. Murray, Vanderbilt University

• Jawanza Kalonji Rand, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Lisa Bass, North Carolina State University

• Dana Thompson Dorsey, Vanderbilt University

• Rich Milner, Vanderbilt University