Occupational Expectations of Twelfth Grade Michigan Boys

Teacher ratings of students’ potential achievement, classroom behavior, and personal characteristics, and teacher-student dyadic interaction measures were obtained to examine the nature of teacher perceptions and interaction with black and white, male and female students in integrated classrooms. Two-way (race X sex) multivariate analysis of variance of the ratings and interaction data yielded significant differences in teacher perceptions of their students according to race, with whites being rated more favorably than blacks. There were no significant sex effects or differences in teacher-student interaction. Examination of the relationship between student behavior and teacher ratings revealed differences between black and white students, suggesting that the teacher differentially interpreted the same student behavior depending on the students’ race.     

Students' Perceptions of Interpersonal Aspects of the Learning Environment

This study examined variables associated with differences in students' perceptions of interpersonal teacher behavior. The perceptions of 3023 students and 74 teachers in 168 classes in seven secondary schools were used in the analyses. Investigating variance at the student, class, teacher and school levels revealed that several variables are significantly related to students' perceptions: student and teacher gender, student and teacher ethnic background, student age and grade, class size, grade level, subject taught and teacher experience. There were interaction effects between some variables, such as student ethnicity and student gender, as well as student and teacher gender. While significant, the amount of variance explained by these was low (around 10%). The outcomes generally confirmed earlier research, although some new effects were found. Perhaps the main result of the study was its verification of the complex and interactive nature of students' perceptions of the learning environment and researchers' understanding of it.     

Teacher ratings of behavior among African American and Caucasian children during the first two years of school

This article prospectively examines teacher‐rated behavior problems and competencies during the first 2 years of formal schooling among African American (n = 190) and Caucasian (n = 350) children. A significant main effect for race was found for both behavior problems and competencies in repeated measures analyses conducted across kindergarten and first‐grade teacher ratings. A time × race interaction indicated that teachers rated Caucasian children's competence as stable over time, whereas their African American peers were rated as less competent. According to these data, African American children did not maintain age‐appropriate school‐based competencies in task orientation and frustration tolerance. No interaction effects were found for a gender × time term for either competencies or behavior problems, suggesting that African American boys do not show more disturbed behavior in the early school years. Behavior trajectories are discussed in terms of the need for competence‐enhancing interventions aimed at early school transitions, particularly for African American children. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fairness and Consequential Validity of Teacher Work Samples

Acknowledging the necessity to establish the fairness and consequential validity of teacher candidate performance assessments when they are used to make high-stakes decisions impacting entry into the profession, we investigated whether there were any adverse results from the use of the Renaissance Teacher Work Sample (TWS) assessment at two universities as a consequence of the age, gender, or race/ethnicity of teacher candidates. We also investigated education program and program entrance requirements, such as Praxis I scores, and measures of grade point average, as general predictors of TWS success. The findings indicated no disparate impact or adverse consequences based on the gender, age, or race/ethnicity of the teacher candidates. Selected variables did predict a moderate amount of the variance of the TWS total scores of both preinterns and student-teaching interns. The process used to determine the value implications of the results was also discussed.     

Psychosocial development in girls of high ability

Gender differences in young highly able children's psychosocial development were investigated using child and teacher ratings of prosocial behavior and peer acceptance. Developmental patterns were addressed by studying two groups – children in the primary grades (1 and 2) and children in grades 3 to 7. No gender differences were found on teacher or child ratings in the younger group. In the older group, gender differences favoring girls were found on teacher ratings of prosocial behavior and peer acceptance. Comparisons of child and teacher ratings by gender showed that the older boys viewed themselves as demonstrating more social skills and as being more accepted by peers than their teachers did. Implications for education and counselling are discussed.     

A Cross-Sectional Study of Engineering Students’ Self-Efficacy by Gender, Ethnicity, Year, and Transfer Status

This is a cross-sectional study of 519 undergraduate engineering majors’ self-efficacy beliefs at a large, research extensive, Midwestern university. Engineering self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in his or her ability to successfully negotiate the academic hurdles of the engineering program. Engineering self-efficacy was obtained from four variables: self-efficacy 1, self-efficacy 2, engineering career outcome expectations, and coping self-efficacy. The four variables were analyzed using a repeated analysis of variance among levels of gender, ethnicity, years students had been enrolled in their engineering program, and transfer status. No significant differences in mean engineering self-efficacy scores were found by gender, ethnicity, and transfer status. However, significant interactions between gender and the subscales, ethnicity and the subscales, and transfer status and the subscales were found. Significant differences in mean engineering self-efficacy scores were found among years students had been enrolled in the program.     

Self‐Compassion Among College Counseling Center Clients: An Examination of Clinical Norms and Group Differences

There has been growing interest in the mental health benefits of self‐compassion. This study was designed to establish norms on the Self‐Compassion Scale–Short Form, a popular measure of self‐compassion for individuals seeking counseling, and to examine group differences in self‐compassion based on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, previous counseling, and psychiatric medication use. Data for this study were collected through the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, a practice‐research network of more than 240 college and university counseling centers.     

Preschool behavior problems in classroom learning situations and literacy outcomes in kindergarten and first grade

Relations between classroom behavior problems early in the preschool year and elementary school literacy and language outcomes were examined for an entire cohort of four-year-old Head Start children (N = 2682). A cross-classified random effects model was used that controlled for the variance in literacy outcomes attributed to: (a) child-level demographics (age, gender, ethnicity), and end of the preschool year cognitive skills; (b) Head Start, kindergarten and first grade classrooms; and (c) kindergarten and first grade schools. Preschool behavior problems were assessed across structured learning situations, and during peer and teacher interactions at the beginning of Head Start. Preschool behavior problems in structured learning situations differentially predicted lower literacy outcomes across all time points. Findings extend previous research and underscore the importance of early identification of problem behavior using developmentally and ecologically valid tools within early childhood classrooms intentionally designed to foster literacy skills.     

Ethnicity and gender gaps in early childhood

Gender differences in academic performance and achievement have been of policy concern for decades—both interest in lower performance by girls in the areas of mathematics and science and, more recently, in boys' underperformance in most other academic areas. Much previous research has focused on gender gaps, while overlooking other factors that may play a role, such as ethnicity. This study looks at the gender differences in cognitive assessments at age five across ethnic groups in a sample of English children from the Millennium Cohort Study. While girls generally perform better than boys, general trends mask some differences across ethnic groups. Results show gender gaps at the mean are largest for black and Pakistani and Bangladeshi children and smallest for white children, they are also larger for the teacher‐rated assessments than for the survey‐administered tests.     

The Impact of Developmental Mathematics Courses and Age,Gender, and Race and Ethnicity on Persistence and Academic Performance in Virginia Community Colleges

This research study examined the 2006 cohort of First-Time-in-College students from all 23 community colleges in Virginia. The goal was to examine fall-to-fall persistence and success in the first college-level mathematics course. Predictor variables used were developmental status, age, gender, and race and ethnicity of the student. Interaction variables were created to determine if age, race and ethnicity, or gender moderates the effects of developmental status for both persistence and success. And a model was created using all main and interaction predictor variables to determine to what extent each variable accounts for persistence and success. It was found that neither gender nor race and ethnicity moderates developmental status for either persistence or success, but age moderates both success and persistence. Developmental courses are more effective for traditionally aged students and developmental courses are positively related to the persistence of nontraditionally aged students and negatively related to the persistence of traditionally aged students. The predictor variables developmental status, age, race and ethnicity, and gender are all significantly related to both the success and persistence of students. The effect of developmental status on both success and persistence is weak. Nondevelopmental status, female, nontraditionally aged, and non-Black race and ethnicity are all positively related to the success of students. Nondevelopmental status, female, traditionally aged, non-White and non-Black race and ethnicities are all positively related to the fall-to-fall persistence of students.     

ADHD and method variance: a latent variable approach applied to a nationally representative sample of college freshmen

This study employed a correlated trait-correlated method application of confirmatory factor analysis to disentangle trait and method variance from measures of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder obtained at the college level. The two trait factors were Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV ) Inattention and DSM-IV Hyperactivity-Impulsivity. The two source factors were self-reports and parent-reports. Data were collected for an epidemiological sample (N = 1,079) of college freshmen stratified for race/ethnicity, gender, and ability level according to national targets for the U.S. college population. Results revealed (a) parents' ratings were better measures of internalizing behavioral dimensions and that students' ratings were better measures of externalizing dimensions of behavior, (b) informants have a greater impact on behavior ratings than the behavioral construct that is presumed to be the primary cause of the behavior as measured by the CARE, (c) relationships among the method factors revealed a substantial amount of unique variance among informants, and (d) relationships among trait factors were largely within expectation.     

Does a teacher’s classroom observation rating vary across multiple classrooms?

Classroom observations have been increasingly used for teacher evaluations, and it is important to examine the measurement quality and the use of observation ratings. When a teacher is observed in multiple classrooms, his or her observation ratings may vary across classrooms. In that case, using ratings from one classroom per teacher may not be adequate to represent a teacher’s instructional quality. Drawing on the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) dataset, this study examined the variation of a teacher’s classroom observation ratings across his or her multiple classrooms. The results indicate that the math classrooms accounted for 4.9 to 14.7% of the variance in the classroom observation ratings and English language arts (ELA) classrooms accounted for 6.7 to 15.5% of the variance in the ratings. The results of this study suggest that teachers’ multiple classrooms should be taken into consideration when classroom observation ratings are used to evaluate teachers in high-stakes settings.     

Teacher efficacy and teacher competency ratings

This cross-validation study investigated the relationships among teacher sense of efficacy, superintendents' ratings of teacher competency, and selected demographic and background variables. One hundred fifty-five teachers from 15 districts in a Southeastern state participated in the study. Multiple regression indicated variables significantly related to efficacy scores were: competency rating by superintendent, birth order, and whether the teacher would again choose teaching as a career. Using discriminant analysis, superior and average competency teachers could be differentiated from low competency teachers on the basis of four significant variables, one of which was efficacy scores. This analysis placed 80.52% of the teachers in the appropriate group, and accounted for 29% of the variance in groups. Analyses also indicated some support for the consistency of superintendents' ratings of teachers across districts.     

Teacher ratings of Hispanic and Anglo students on a behavior rating scale

The study was conducted with 115 Hispanic (53 Males, 62 Females) and 119 Anglo (61 males, 58 females) fifth grade students and 12 teachers (11 females, 1 male) in a public school district in the Southwest. The study was designed to determine teachers’ nomination rates of Hispanic and Anglo students to gifted and talented programs and to establish if there were differences in teachers’ ratings on the SRBCSS across ethnicity and gender groups for nominated and not nominated students. Results indicated that ethnicity was a factor in teachers’ nomination rate and that these differences were more pronounced between Hispanic and Anglo females. Results also indicated that teachers’ ratings on the SRBCSS for nominated Hispanic and Anglo students were similar, but that ratings for non‐nominated students differed significantly by ethnic group.     

CULTURAL AND ETHNIC BIAS IN TEACHER RATINGS OF BEHAVIOR: A CRITERION‐FOCUSED REVIEW

Behavior rating scales are indirect measures of emotional and social functioning used for assessment purposes. Rater bias is systematic error that may compromise the validity of behavior rating scale scores. Teacher bias in ratings of behavior has been investigated in multiple studies, but not yet assessed in a research synthesis that focuses on the role of ethnicity and culture. Teacher bias in ratings of student behavior was investigated through a comprehensive literature review that only included studies with a defensible criterion of true behavior against which to compare rating scores. A final total of 13 studies of teacher bias suggested mixed evidence for bias due to student ethnicity and strong evidence of bias due to teacher culture, particularly when positive stereotypes were violated. Limitations and future directions of research are discussed.     

EXTENDING THE VALIDITY OF THE FAMILY INVOLVEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE–SHORT FORM FOR CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE FAMILIES FROM LOW‐INCOME BACKGROUNDS

The construct validity of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Short Form (FIQ‐SF) was examined in an independent sample of ethnically and linguistically diverse low‐income families (N = 498) enrolled in an urban Head Start program in the Southeast. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses replicated the three‐factor structure identified in initial validation studies with Northeast samples: home‐school conferencing, home‐based involvement, and school‐based involvement. Findings from multiple group confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence that the three‐factor structure was invariant across family ethnicity. multivariate analyses of variance also confirmed hypothesized mean differences on FIQ‐SF dimension scores across family demographic variables such as caregiver ethnicity, primary home language, caregiver education, employment, and marital status. Findings replicate and extend prior construct validity evidence to support the use of the FIQ‐SF by early childhood education programs such as Head Start serving diverse families from low‐income backgrounds. Implications for future research, practice, and policy applications in early childhood are discussed.     

Toward a Democratic Ethnotheory of Parenting for Families and Policymakers: A Developmental Systems Perspective

Objective. This study examines ethnic group differences in the relation between parents' use of physical discipline and children's externalizing behavior problems in younger children and assesses both same-source and distinct-source data. Design. One hundred and twelve mothers of African American (N = 63) and European American (N = 49) children were interviewed regarding their parenting strategies and their child's behavior. Preschool teacher ratings of child behavior were obtained. Results. Regression analyses revealed significant main effects for gender and discipline on externalizing behavior problems. All 2-way interactions with ethnicity were significant, but only when predicting teacher-rated behavior problems. Post-hoc analyses showed that for African American men, there was a significant negative correlation between mother-reported physical discipline and teacher-rated externalizing behavior problems. Similar correlations for African American women and the European American gender groups were not significant. Conclusions. These findings show ethnic differences in the relation between physical discipline and externalizing behavior problems for young children when distinct-source information is obtained. The study extends the literature by showing this effect is particularly strong for boys.     

Use of a technology‐enhanced version of the good behavior game in an elementary school setting

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a variation of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) in which teachers used ClassDojo to manage each team's progress. ClassDojo is a computer‐based program that enables teachers to award students with points for demonstrating target behaviors. Dependent variables included class‐wide disruptive and academically engaged behavior, teachers’ ratings on the Behavior Intervention Rating Scale (BIRS), and the rate of teacher praise statements delivered in each phase. Overall, results indicated that the GBG with ClassDojo was effective at reducing disruptive behavior, increasing academically engaged behavior, and was rated as socially valid. Additionally, when the intervention was in place, increases in the amount of behavior‐specific praise statements delivered were observed across all three classrooms.     

Childhood adversity and adult depression among the incarcerated: Differential exposure and vulnerability by race/ethnicity and gender

The relationship between childhood adversity and adult depression is well-established but less is known about the association between childhood adversity and adult depression among the incarcerated. In this paper, we examine differential exposure and vulnerability to childhood adversity by race/ethnicity and gender on adult depression among the incarcerated in the United States. We address three research questions: does exposure to childhood adverse experiences vary by race/ethnicity and gender? Is there an association between these childhood adverse events and depression and does the strength of the association vary by the specific adverse experiences? And does vulnerability to childhood adversity vary by gender and race/ethnicity? Using the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SI-SFCF), we measure four key childhood adverse events – parental/caretaker substance abuse, physical assault, having been placed in foster care, and sexual assault. We use ordinary least squares regression and a series of interaction effect analyses to examine differential exposure and vulnerability to the four childhood adverse experiences by race/ethnicity and gender. Incarcerated women are more likely to report parental substance abuse, but all inmates/prisoners are similarly vulnerable to this experience. For the other three adverse experiences measured, we find that there are important racial/ethnic and gender differences in both exposure and vulnerability. African American men and women are more vulnerable to the effects of physical and sexual victimization than White and Hispanic men and women. Women are much more likely to be exposed to sexual victimization, but men who report this experience are significantly more depressed. Hispanic women and White men and women are more likely to report foster care, but all inmates/prisoners who report foster care experiences are significantly more depressed than other inmates/prisoners, with the exception of white men. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in exposure and vulnerability to childhood adversity by race/ethnicity and gender. We conclude that in order to effectively design and implement programs to decrease the probability that childhood adversity is a risk factor for adult depression interventions must be targeted toward specific, vulnerable groups according to race/ethnicity and gender.     

Using Multidimensional Scaling and Unfolding to Explore Teacher Perceptual Biases for Selected Special Education Referral Categories

Multidimensional scaling (POLYCON) and unfolding (PREFMAP) algorithms developed by Young (24) and Carroll (3), respectively, were used to explore teacher perceptions of special education labels (e.g., emotional disturbance) in terms of a reference set of 28 student behaviors (e.g., withdrawn, short attention span) across two context variables: student gender and student ethnicity. The resulting two-dimensional scaling solution revealed teacher perceptual distinctions between student acting-out and passive behaviors, and between student intellectual impairment and specific behavior problems. In addition, scaling analyses also suggested teacher perceptual biases that required both males and minority (i.e., black) students to behave more extremely before being seen by teachers as having either learning or emotional problems.