Dr. Ericka Weathers of Penn State is unearthing the consequences of persistent segregation in schools and its impact on school funding. Weathers noted that racial segregation is found to be higher between districts in a state than within districts. Thus, differences in resources and spending practices between districts have consequences for inequalities. Danielle explores Weathers’ research for Harvard’s Strategic Data Project.
Read MoreAnti-Black bias is an important focal point in the discussion of the root causes of educational inequality. Much of the emerging bias research focuses on how teachers interact with students of color. Yet less is known about how anti-black bias plays out at a larger scale within a community. Do rates of community bias translate into achievement disparities between Black and White students? Danielle explores the research that Dr. Francis A. Pearman, Assistant Professor of Education in Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, presented to the SDP network.
Read More“Achievement gap discourse (AGD)” has driven conversations about race in education for the past several decades and has drawn criticism for its central metaphor. While a desire to understand and address educational inequality spawned conversations of the so-called achievement gap, scholars like pedagogical theorist and teacher educator Gloria Ladson-Billings point out that AGD “constructs students as defective and lacking” and “admonishes them to catch up.” Thus, even before seeking solutions to address racial bias in schools, many are left wondering how to discuss the issue in the first place. Danielle explores USC researcher David Quinn’s experimental evidence that news stories about the “achievement gap” contribute to stereotypes regarding academics and race.
Read MoreUse of force is a well-established part of American law enforcement. Roughly a thousand individuals are killed by police each year, a statistic with major ramifications for not only the individuals killed and their families but also for the students in the surrounding communities. Attitudes toward and trust in police fracture in response to police violence, and in the U.S., these fractures often occur along racial lines, disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic students both in and out of the classroom. Danielle explores this story for Harvard’s Strategic Data Project.
Read MoreThe need for data scientists in the U.S. is growing, yet groups like the Latinx population are vastly untapped when training and building the next generation of skilled workers. According to Google’s 2019 diversity report, for example, only 5.7% of their total workforce identifies as Latinx, and only 5.3% of their new hires in tech jobs went to Latinx workers. This trend mirrors a larger trend in the U.S. STEM workforce, as Hispanic workers hold only 7% of STEM jobs yet make up 16% of the workforce. Absent wider programming specifically targeting STEM, some K-12 teachers are getting creative when developing opportunities in data science for Latinx students. Danielle explores this story for Harvard CEPR’s Strategic Data Project.
Read MoreThe PIER Fellowship at Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research is yielding far-reaching impact — and changing the way education policy leaders are trained. In this impact story, Danielle explores how three PIER fellows are impacting on Head Start, universal preschool, teacher retention, and adult education.
Read MoreIn December 2018, Betsy DeVos rescinded Obama-era guidance intended to reduce racial discrimination in school discipline. At a time when black high school students are twice as likely to get suspended than their white counterparts, this move has been shrouded in controversy. Yet amidst harsh social realities and divided political opinions, researchers like Dr. Akisha Jones Sarfo are working to bring an evidence-based voice to the table. Danielle explores Jones Sarfo’s story for Harvard CEPR’s Strategic Data Project.
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