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At the beginning of the reading, there is a brief discussion about the deficit or deficiency stance. It is stated that one of the drawbacks of this perspective is the overgeneralization (stereotyping) of commonalities among racial/ethnic groups and cultures. On pages 23 & 29 there is specific mention of classroom techniques that model or incorporate elements of 'African American homes' or 'African American culture'. How, as researchers, do we actualize the challenging dichotomy of recognizing the diverse backgrounds of students without categorizing them into racialized subgroups?

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"When students were given the opportunity to revise and resubmit their essays, greater percentages of both Black and White students resubmitted their essays when they received the wise feedback compared to the neutral feedback... it is important to note that when grading the essays, teachers were unaware of the type of feedback the students had received" (pg.25).

This study provided 'wise' and neutral' feedback to students at random to determine their willingness to resubmit an essay, the teacher was asked to grade the essay without knowing which type of feedback was received. I found this example noteworthy because it exemplified the power of positive encouragement in an academic space, and that this impact transcended race (there was no statistical difference when students received wise feedback).

"...it was found that more teachers exhibited implicit (and not explicit) prejudice toward immigrant children, the greater were the achievement gap differences in their classrooms; this difference was mediated by teacher expectations" (pg.27).

The findings for this study are powerful, although the participating teachers had low levels of explicit prejudice they had high levels of implicit prejudice toward the immigrant students. The research team administered two tests, the 'Modern Racism Scale' and the 'Standard Implicit Attitudes Test' to make these determinations. The implicit prejudice demonstrated by the teachers was connected to both lower expectations and achievement scores.

This study is notable due to the implied lack of awareness the teachers had of their own prejudice and the high impact their behavior had on students.

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Q1 - One student states that such teachers “remind us often you expect our best, encourage our efforts even if we are having trouble, give helpful feedback and expect us to review . . . don’t compare us to other students and stick with us” (pg. 23). I use warm demander pedagogy in my Early College courses as a measure of setting expectations of how high school students need to understand how to act while taking college classes.  It was nice to see that approach in this chapter.

Q2 – What is particularly striking about the pattern of results in this investigation is that the achievement gap” was not simply closed. It was actually reversed (Pg 28). I found this to be significant in ensuring that culture makes a big difference to how you approach the subject with different learners.

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My question on race and research … On page 30 & 31 there was a discussion that black students were suspended at quicker rate than white students.  The two strikes and you are out rule for blacks.  I especially liked the statement that said, “It should be reinforced that students of any age cannot learn well if they are not in school to receive instruction and have access to the knowledge and skills that are being afforded”.  How best to keep students in school that are disruptive and how do we close this race gap?

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“The deficit stance has been known for being needlessly pejorative in capturing the extant experiences of students from certain ethnic minority backgrounds (Milner, 2008; Valencia, 1997). This had led to an alternative framework that has been labeled the difference stance.  The notion is that the cultural and/or other lived experiences - for example, of Black students/people - are distinct and unique and as such cannot be captured through a deficit lens. In turn, it is asserted that these experiences are not acknowledged in general, and thus do not inform the schooling practices to which Black students are typically subjected; this is what leads to the low levels of school performance for such students. The cultural difference view has garnered sizable attention across time. However, it has been justifiably critiqued in that it has fallen prey at times to advocating for an either/or depiction of a group’s extant experiences, and as such has seemed to overplay the uniqueness of differing groups.” (pg.16)

I selected this quote because it spoke to my experience with Black students. The difference stance as a lens to frame a research question categories students based on visual physical identifications that a White teacher might understand as the Black experience, while the home life and personal experiences of every student, regardless of skin color, are equally unique. The difference isn’t in the student but rather in the understanding of experiences that a teacher brings to the classroom. For example, this year, I have a Black female student in a small Calculus class. She identifies as Black and has shared that she is considering BCBU’s. Filling in the gaps in my understanding, I had to calibrate my understanding of her “life experiences” when I learned that she is a first-generation from Guiana. French is spoken in her home and is her first language, which I only learned in a Zoom parent-teacher conference. It was quickly evident even in a twelve-minute Zoom meeting that her home life is not as I imagined. This reading allowed me to revisit that experience and reflect upon the student’s experience. I imagine that she experiences life as a Black person because that is how society perceives her. We must question the perspective of the researcher, subject, and society as it influences the lived experience because it is not only the design of a research project that affects outcomes but the experiences of all involved. This quote leads to the next question, “What would be a focal goal for schooling that is appropriately aligned with this integrity-based frame of reference.” pg. 17

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“If we do not educate (with different outcomes and aims) a critical mass of our citizens to very high levels of attainment, not only will presently marginalized (Black and Brown) communities suffer but our society at large will simply fall short of providing the talents and skills that we will greatly need in the years and decades ahead.” pg. 18

This quote reminded me of the common idea that not helping the most disadvantaged will in the long run hurt us all. While this is the quote I chose, the chapter pivots from this statement to focus exclusively on exploration and analysis of improving the educational outcomes of Black students. I very much appreciated that this chapter focused on how to support Black and Brown students with or without also improving overall outcomes. Yes, that may or may not happen; improved systems will improve outcomes. A takeaway from this reading is that the research into improving the education of our Black students needs to focus on both the conditions and the process of Black students in school. I learned that research into education and race should focus on interventions that specifically promote greater learning opportunities for students of color, and secondarily for all students.

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Question - breaking the walls of the classroom CHE

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Question - breaking the walls of the classroom CHE

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A question about race and research is related to the statement that most research is grounded in measurable elements, technocratic rather than transactional. “Capturing the texture and contours of classroom transactions is not necessarily straightforward. This approach does not lend itself to straightforward oversight or accountability.” (pg. 21) There is a saying in education, that which is measurable is tested and that which is tested is taught. How can we measure/research transactional changes in the classroom? For the past 50 years, we have tried to reform education but it seems that effecting transactional change in the classroom is the barrier. I also question that it seems the educational reforms and challenges are fundamentally connected to desegregation. While there have been continued efforts to improve education, the understanding of mathematics has diminished in spite of this effort. What is the role of race in the post-civil-rights era? What are the underlying issues? If we consider that the system is not broken, it was designed this way. Post-segregation education does not seem to work for Black students, and in the end for any student. I am curious about the educational impact of the backlash against desegregation and how we can research and improve learning experiences in a classroom.

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"A disproportionately high percentage of Black children are being put out of school before they enroll in kindergarten" (p.30)
"The implication here is that when a Black student misbehaves a second time, a pattern has been established that marks the student as a troublemaker" (p.31)
Last semester, I researched disparities in OSS and ISS in the US, Maine and the school I work at. Research indicates males and students with an IEP are more likely to receive these types of behavior consequences. Add racial disparities and a Black male student with a learning disability is little to no chance of being able to earn their diploma.

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"Indeed, using asset-based strategies could likely have the same impact on student behavioral outcomes as on academic outcomes" (p. 31). With a current emphasis on social-emotional learning resulting from the pandemic, will schools address the need for all and, in turn, address the existing racial inequities due to disproportionate disciplinary treatment?