Discrimination and Achievement Disparities in Adolescence

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

Of great concern to the scientific, educator, and policy communities is why members of racial and ethnic minorities exhibit consistently lower achievement than non-Hispanic white students. The racial/ethnic achievement gap is observed as early as age three, and it widens across childhood and adolescence. This achievement gap has long-term consequences for employment and earnings, incarceration and reliance on government assistance, and health outcomes. Understanding how aspects of students' daily experiences relate to achievement is important in reducing this gap. This study focuses on adolescents' day-to-day experiences of discrimination -based on race/ethnicity, social class, weight, and/or sexual orientation- that may contribute to achievement disparities. This research will not only contribute to understanding of the achievement gap but may also lead to the development of new and innovative policy interventions. This study will include mixed-methods data from 1,000 students over a 3-year period during the transition from middle to high school. Using survey, daily diary, and interview data, this study investigates: a) the extent to which adolescents are marginalized by peers, educators, or institutions due to their race/ethnicity, social class, weight, and/or sexual minority status, b) how discrimination by specific perpetrators or discrimination tied to race/ethnicity and other social identities is linked to achievement, internalizing symptoms, and risky behaviors, and c) whether positive interpersonal interactions within the school walls (e.g., student-teacher or peer relations, school climate) protect students from the negative effects of discrimination. Project findings will suggest not only critical points of intervention but also whether intervention and prevention efforts could be effectively targeted to certain student populations by identifying those at greatest and least risk, and how contextual factors may foster resilience.