ERIC Number: EJ782268
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 27
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0095-7984
EISSN: N/A
The Effects of Stereotypes on the Achievement Gap: Reexamining the Academic Performance of African American High School Students
Kellow, J. Thomas; Jones, Brett D.
Journal of Black Psychology, v34 n1 p94-120 2008
This study investigated whether African American high school freshman students experience stereotype threat when taking a test that is seen as a predictor of their success on a high-stakes test. The authors conceptually replicated a previous study by Kellow and Jones (2005) using a true experimental design, as opposed to a quasi-experimental design. White students scored statistically significantly higher than African American students when told that their test performance would be predictive of their performance on a statewide, high-stakes standardized test. The following potential mediators of stereotype threat were included in the study and the effects of each are discussed: (a) perceptions of ability and expectancy for success, (b) achievement goal orientation, (c) anxiety, and (d) perceptions of stereotype threat. The results suggest that African American students are at a disadvantage compared to White students when their knowledge and skills are measured using a high-stakes standardized test. Implications for high-stakes testing of African American students are discussed. (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)
Descriptors: African American Students, Quasiexperimental Design, Standardized Tests, Academic Achievement, High Stakes Tests, White Students, Ethnic Stereotypes, Social Attitudes, Social Bias, High School Freshmen, Racial Differences, Scores, Test Bias, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A