“I’m Trying To Bring the Scores of My School Up, Man! Standardized Testing, Stereotypes, and High-Performing African American Elementary School Students

This qualitative study investigated factors that produced or perpetuated standardized test-based stereotype threat effects for a group of African American children. Findings revealed 4 themes: a perception of education as strictly test preparation, test-based stress and anxiety, racial salience, and stereotypes. Implications for practice and policy are discussed

Gender Biases and Nontraditional Literature in the Urban Elementary Classroom

Gender stereotypes pervade children’s literature. This action research project sought to alter stereotypical perceptions of gender roles held by a classroom of urban elementary school students through the introduction of nontraditional gender role literature. Results suggested that some stereotypical perceptions could be altered through utilization and discussion of such literature

Stereotype Threat and the Standardized Test Performance of Black Children: When Does the Threat Become a Relevant Performance Inhibitor?

As Black students become more invested in the outcome of standardized tests, stereotypes become salient, subsequently depressing performance (Steele, 1997). As federal law has increased the importance of standardized testing at the elementary level, research is needed to determine when the stereotype threat becomes a relevant performance inhibitor

Project POWER: Promoting Our Will Through Education and Research

Project POWER utilized participatory action research to critically examine issues facing students in an urban high school, setting the stage for the co-creation of spaces for student-teacher dialogue. The project culminated in a dialogue between the students and their future teachers at a university in Miami, Florida

“Being it no matter what anyone else think about it:” Combating Gender Bias with Nontraditional Literature in an Urban Elementary Classroom

Gender stereotypes pervade children’s literature. This action research project sought to alter stereotypical perceptions of gender roles held by a classroom of students in an urban elementary school through the introduction of nontraditional literature. Results suggested that some stereotypical perceptions could be altered through utilization and discussion of such literature

The multi-societal European consensus on the terminology, diagnosis and management of patients with synchronous colorectal cancer and liver metastases:an E-AHPBA consensus in partnership with ESSO, ESCP, ESGAR, and CIRSE

Background: Contemporary management of patients with synchronous colorectal cancer and liver metastases is complex. The aim of this project was to provide a practical framework for care of patients with synchronous colorectal cancer and liver metastases with a focus on terminology, diagnosis and management. Methods: This project was a multi-organisational, multidisciplinary consensus. The consensus group produced statements which focused on terminology, diagnosis and management. Statements were refined during an online Delphi process and those with 70% agreement or above were reviewed at a final meeting. Iterations of the report were shared by electronic mail to arrive at a final agreed document comprising twelve key statements. Results: Synchronous liver metastases are those detected at the time of presentation of the primary tumour. The term “early metachronous metastases” applies to those absent at presentation but detected within 12 months of diagnosis of the primary tumour with “late metachronous metastases” applied to those detected after 12 months. Disappearing metastases applies to lesions which are no longer detectable on MR scan after systemic chemotherapy. Guidance was provided on the recommended composition of tumour boards and clinical assessment in emergency and elective settings. The consensus focused on treatment pathways including systemic chemotherapy, synchronous surgery and the staged approach with either colorectal or liver-directed surgery as first step. Management of pulmonary metastases and the role of minimally invasive surgery was discussed. Conclusions: The recommendations of this contemporary consensus provide information of practical value to clinicians managing patients with synchronous colorectal cancer and liver metastases

173 No Child Left Behind, Stereotype Threat, and the Standardized Testing of African American Third-Graders

Abstract: Stereotype threat theory proposes that the possibility of being judged in terms of a negative stereotype in a particular domain negatively affects one’s performance. The proposed mixed-methods research will investigate the influences of stereotype threat on African American third-graders in a post-No Child Left Behind environment. Stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995) refers to the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group in a particular performance domain. Stereotype threat theory assumes that underperformance is triggered by the possibility of being judged in terms of said stereotype. Given the possibility of positive intervention (Aronson, Fried, & Good, 2002; Cohen, Garcia, Apfel, & Master, 2006; Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht, 2003), a necessary next step is to examine how children experience stereotype threat effects. This is particularly important when addressing potential remedies for the racial achievement gap in standardized testing, which has become increasingly important at the elementary level (U.S. Department of Education, 2007). Therefore, the research questions that guide this proposal are: (a) How does stereotype threat influence the reading test performance of African American children in an urban elementar

Stereotype threat and the standardized testing experiences of African American children at an urban elementary school

Stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995) refers to the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group in a particular performance domain. The theory assumes that performance in the stereotyped domain is most negatively affected when individuals are more highly identified with the domain in question. As federal law has increased the importance of standardized testing at the elementary level, it can be reasonably hypothesized that the standardized test performance of African American children will be depressed when they are aware of negative societal stereotypes about the academic competence of African Americans. This sequential mixed-methods study investigated whether the standardized testing experiences of African American children in an urban elementary school are related to their level of stereotype awareness. The quantitative phase utilized data from 198 African American children at an urban elementary school. Both ex-post facto and experimental designs were employed. Experimental conditions were diagnostic and non-diagnostic testing experiences. The qualitative phase utilized data from a series of six focus group interviews conducted with a purposefully selected group of 4 African American children. The interview data were supplemented with data from 30 hours of classroom observations. Quantitative findings indicated that the stereotype threat condition evoked by diagnostic testing depresses the reading test performance of stereotype-aware African American children (F[1, 194] = 2.21, p \u3c .01). This was particularly true of students who are most highly domain-identified with reading (F[1, 91] = 19.18, p \u3c .01). Moreover, findings indicated that only stereotype-aware African American children who were highly domain-identified were more likely to experience anxiety in the diagnostic condition (F[1, 91] = 5.97, p \u3c .025). Qualitative findings revealed 4 themes regarding how African American children perceive and experience the factors related to stereotype threat: (1) a narrow perception of education as strictly test preparation, (2) feelings of stress and anxiety related to the state test, (3) concern with what “others” think (racial salience), and (4) stereotypes. A new conceptual model for stereotype threat is presented, and future directions including implications for practice and policy are discussed