Teacher-perpetuated racial or ethnic discrimination in math classrooms is associated with worse engagement, grades, and test scores for all students¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In a large-scale longitudinal study, math classrooms with more frequent reported teacher-perpetuated racial/ethnic discrimination showed worse classroom engagement, course grades, and test scores on average, including among students not directly discriminated against. → Fitz 2025

Evidence¶

Fitz 2025¶

Fitz, J. (with Price, H.). (2025). Positive conditions for mathematics learning: An overview of the research. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/967.472

q2 · i? · associational · r2

The review reports this large-scale longitudinal study: in classrooms with more frequent teacher-perpetuated discrimination, "all students" tended to view the teacher as less supportive, and classroom engagement, course grades, and test scores were worse on average.

"One large-scale longitudinal study found that, in math classrooms where students report more frequent instances of teacher-perpetuated racial or ethnic discrimination, all students—not just those who are directly discriminated against—tended to view their teacher as less supportive and “less sensitive to students’ needs and perspectives.”"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Systematic racial, ethnic and gender differences in grades persist among students with the same test scores, attendance, courses and teachers — related
• Asian and white CPS students score consistently higher than Latino and African-American students in reading and math, and Asian students score significantly higher in math than white students — related
• Racial achievement gaps in Chicago increased in all three eras, with African American students falling behind all other groups, especially in Era 3 — related
• Age moderates the discrimination–private regard relation: discrimination at Time 2 predicts lower private regard at Time 3 among late (17–18) but not middle adolescents — related
• Perceived racial discrimination at Time 1 is negatively linked to public regard at Time 2 among African American adolescents — related