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ERIC Number: ED671239
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jun
Pages: 64
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Experimental Evidence on Teachers' Racial Bias in Student Evaluation: The Role of Grading Scales. EdWorkingPaper No. 20-241
David M. Quinn
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
A vast research literature documents racial bias in teachers' evaluations of students. Theory suggests bias may be larger on grading scales with vague or overly-general criteria versus scales with clearly-specified criteria, raising the possibility that well-designed grading policies may mitigate bias. This study offers relevant evidence through a randomized web-based experiment with 1,549 teachers. On a vague grade-level evaluation scale, teachers rated a student writing sample lower when it was randomly signaled to have a Black author, versus a White author. However, there was no evidence of racial bias when teachers used a rubric with more clearly-defined evaluation criteria. Contrary to expectation, I found no evidence that the magnitude of grading bias depends on teachers' implicit or explicit racial attitudes. [Funding for this report was provided by a James H. Zumberge Individual Research Award from the University of Southern California.]
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A