Stereotyping My topic was “demonstrate through discussion and writing knowledge of factors that impede or limit pupil development including stereotyping, socioeconomic status, inadequate language development, negative school climate, and discrimination.” So, we can all agree that stereotyping students is bad, discriminating against students is bad, a negative school climate is bad, lower socioeconomic status is typically associated with lower academic achievement, and inadequate language development is harmful because EL students have a 5x higher dropout rate. This presentation is mainly focused on stereotypes and their effects on students. Although similar, stereotype is technically different from prejudice, which is technically different from discrimination. A stereotype is an exaggerated belief, image or distorted truth about a person or group. A generalization based on images in mass media, or reputations passed on by parents, peers and other members of society. Stereotypes can be positive or negative. A prejudice is an opinion, prejudgment or attitude about a group or its individual members. A prejudice can be positive, but in our usage refers to a negative attitude. Prejudice is often aimed at “out-groups.” Discrimination is behavior that treats people unequally because of their group memberships. Discriminatory behavior, ranging from slights to hate crimes, often begins with negative stereotypes and prejudices. Stereotype Threat However, what happens if educators do not discriminate or stereotype students, but instead students stereotype themselves. This is a phenomenon called stereotype threat. Stereotype threat refers to “being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group.” It was first developed by social psychologist Claude Steele (1995). In layman’s terms, stereotype threat is a self-fulfilling prophesy made by students that affect their performance. One study conducted found that Caucasian men performed poorly compared to African-American men in a miniature golf task when the task was presented as a test of natural athletic ability When the task was presented as a test of “sporting intelligence,” performance by African American suffered compared to Caucasian men. Another study found college women performed worse than their male counterparts when completing a very difficult math test, however, this difference was eliminated when the test was presented as not showing gender differences suggesting that women had a stereotype threat effect that females perform worse than males in math. Awareness of these negative stereotypes may produce distracting thoughts about confirming group stereotypes, and these anxieties, in turn, may lead to the very failure that is feared. When stereotype threat is most likely to be experienced Effects of stereotype threat is most likely experienced when testers designating a test as diagnostic of intellectual ability. When told a test was diagnostic of verbal ability, Black students scored a full standard deviation lower than Whites. When the same test was presented as nondiagnostic of ability, the Black and White students performed equally well (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Another situation is when testers bring attention to students’ ethnicities prior to testing. A performance difference was found when students had to specify their race on a demographics form before testing, even when the test was presented as nondiagnostic of ability. Why stereotype threat effects typically occur Studies have found that effects of stereotype threat likely occurs because of anxiety/physiological arousal, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, and intrusive thoughts, usually worries about fulfilling the group stereotype or being judged according to it. Studies have found it to be a vicious cycle. Intrusive thoughts worry the student, which in turns increases physiological arousal, and thereby have a negative impact on their performance on tests or tasks. What determines strength of stereotype threats? Several factors can determine the strength of stereotype threats. One factor is test characteristics (real or purported). Studies have found that more difficult tests produce greater stereotype threat effects. Stereotyped groups show decreased performance when a test is presented as showing intergroup score differences or diagnostic of ability. A second factor is the student’s beliefs about intelligence. When 7th grade female students were told intelligence is due to effort and not inherent, they did better on math tests than girls in the control group and performed as well as the boys in their class. A third factor may be concerns about stereotypic evaluations by others. In situations where the evaluator is vague about performance criteria, stereotype threat effects increased in students If performance criteria were specifically delineated, it helped to reduce stereotype threat effects. A fourth factor is Social identity salience. The more that a testing environment promoted awareness of one’s social identity, the more performance decreased. A study found that women completed a math test in a room with 0, 1, or 2 other women and several men. Results showed women performed best on the math test when they had two other females in the room, and performed worst when they were the only woman in a room with several men. How to reduce stereotype threat in students There are several ways to reduce stereotype threat in students. One way is to let students know that challenging but attainable standards are present. However, this is more relevant in lower grades, before students are aware they can judge their own competencies accurately. Another way is to let them know importance of high expectations. Although this may seem counterintuitive to decreasing stereotype threats, it actually makes the general point to the students that the tester believes they can achieve more because of higher expectations, therefore students who think others expect them to do poorly are more likely going to perform worse. Another way is to give age-appropriate information about the nature of the assessment instruments and the reliable objectives with which they will be scored. Testers can also assure students that scorers of tests will not have access to students’ demographic characteristics. A long term goal for school psychologists is to lobby for test developers to move demographic information to the end of examinations instead of the beginning. How does this pertain to us as School Psychologists Stereotype threats are very important to us as school psychologists because we assess students’ achievement and intellect. We have to make sure we do not inadvertently induce stereotype threat effects by asking questions about topics related to a student’s demographic group. Ability/Achievement measures should be placed at the beginning of assessments, before less formal self-report activities (clinical interview, family background, current home environment, self-perceptions of academic functioning). We also shouldn’t describe tests as diagnostic of intellectual ability, and we should consider the possibility of stereotype threat effects when interpreting scores of vulnerable group members. References http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/definition.html http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.pitts/stereotype_threat_ Jordan, A.H., Lovett, B.J.,(2007). Stereotype threat and test performance: A primer for school psychologists. Journal of School Psychology, 45, 45-59. Leadership Presentations: Specific Learning Outcomes 2-3
1) Demonstrate knowledge about and respect for family structures and socio-cultural diversity and demographic shifts in California and the effect of these changes have on pupil learning.- Debbi Family structures and soci.doc
2) Demonstrate through discussion, presentations, and writing the ways in which ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and other environmental factors impact pupil learning and academic achievement. - Lauryn PPS 6010 Specific Learning Outcome.docx
2-10
3) Gain an understanding through reading, research, and discussion of the ways in which educational policies, program, and practices can be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of pupils and their families.- Mona SLO Leadership Presentation Abstract.docxSLO Leadership Presentation.pptx 4) Discuss and understand the ways in which pupil development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by the family-school collaboration.- Larafamilyschoolcollaboration.ppt 2-17
5) Demonstrate self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and skillfulness in relating to ethnically and culturally diverse individuals and families and with this knowledge, effectively communicate information to influence change.- LanaUnderstanding the Vietnamese American Community.pptx 6) Recognize how his/her own self-esteem affects pupils, staff, and families from all cultural backgrounds.- Natalie SelfEsteem.pptx 2-24
7) Develop an understanding of family-centered approaches to collaboration with schools.- Sarah
8) Learn how schools, diverse families and communities act as partners in guiding pupils’ acquisition of self-esteem, social and personal responsibility.- Venus PPS6010 LOut.doc 3-3
9) Understand how cultural, ethnic and racial competencies help influence the ability to use negotiation skills, conflict management skills, and mediation skills to help school staffs communicate with difficult and or angry parents, pupils, teachers, and other school staff. - KellyLEARNING OUTCOMES.docx
10) Demonstrate through discussion and writing knowledge of factors that impede or limit pupil development including stereotyping, socioeconomic status, inadequate language development, negative school climate, and discrimination. - MarlaSpecific Learning Outcomes.pptSpecific Learning outcomes.doc 3-10
11) Recognize the best practices to use with linguistically diverse students by analyzing and discussing language learner attributes the structure of language, and second language acquisition.- Alex 12) Extra person to have choice- Denise Leaps.pptx
Scoring Rubric for /Leadership Presentation:
Student:
Topic:
Objectives:
Excellent Evidence 4 points
Good Evidence 3 points
Minimal evidence 1-2 points
No evidence of inclusion 0 points
Oral Presentation based on topic and readings
Research for Presentation
Response to questions
Prompting relevant dialogue
Explains how the specific learning outcome may pertain to the job of being a School Psychologist
Stereotyping
My topic was “demonstrate through discussion and writing knowledge of factors that impede or limit pupil development including stereotyping, socioeconomic status, inadequate language development, negative school climate, and discrimination.” So, we can all agree that stereotyping students is bad, discriminating against students is bad, a negative school climate is bad, lower socioeconomic status is typically associated with lower academic achievement, and inadequate language development is harmful because EL students have a 5x higher dropout rate.
This presentation is mainly focused on stereotypes and their effects on students. Although similar, stereotype is technically different from prejudice, which is technically different from discrimination. A stereotype is an exaggerated belief, image or distorted truth about a person or group.
A generalization based on images in mass media, or reputations passed on by parents, peers and other members of society. Stereotypes can be positive or negative. A prejudice is an opinion, prejudgment or attitude about a group or its individual members. A prejudice can be positive, but in our usage refers to a negative attitude. Prejudice is often aimed at “out-groups.” Discrimination is behavior that treats people unequally because of their group memberships. Discriminatory behavior, ranging from slights to hate crimes, often begins with negative stereotypes and prejudices.
Stereotype Threat
However, what happens if educators do not discriminate or stereotype students, but instead students stereotype themselves. This is a phenomenon called stereotype threat. Stereotype threat refers to “being at risk of confirming, as self-characteristic, a negative stereotype about one's group.” It was first developed by social psychologist Claude Steele (1995). In layman’s terms, stereotype threat is a self-fulfilling prophesy made by students that affect their performance.
One study conducted found that Caucasian men performed poorly compared to African-American men in a miniature golf task when the task was presented as a test of natural athletic ability
When the task was presented as a test of “sporting intelligence,” performance by African American suffered compared to Caucasian men. Another study found college women performed worse than their male counterparts when completing a very difficult math test, however, this difference was eliminated when the test was presented as not showing gender differences suggesting that women had a stereotype threat effect that females perform worse than males in math. Awareness of these negative stereotypes may produce distracting thoughts about confirming group stereotypes, and these anxieties, in turn, may lead to the very failure that is feared.
When stereotype threat is most likely to be experienced
Effects of stereotype threat is most likely experienced when testers designating a test as diagnostic of intellectual ability. When told a test was diagnostic of verbal ability, Black students scored a full standard deviation lower than Whites. When the same test was presented as nondiagnostic of ability, the Black and White students performed equally well (Steele & Aronson, 1995). Another situation is when testers bring attention to students’ ethnicities prior to testing. A performance difference was found when students had to specify their race on a demographics form before testing, even when the test was presented as nondiagnostic of ability.
Why stereotype threat effects typically occur
Studies have found that effects of stereotype threat likely occurs because of anxiety/physiological arousal, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, and intrusive thoughts, usually worries about fulfilling the group stereotype or being judged according to it. Studies have found it to be a vicious cycle. Intrusive thoughts worry the student, which in turns increases physiological arousal, and thereby have a negative impact on their performance on tests or tasks.
What determines strength of stereotype threats?
Several factors can determine the strength of stereotype threats. One factor is test characteristics (real or purported). Studies have found that more difficult tests produce greater stereotype threat effects. Stereotyped groups show decreased performance when a test is presented as showing intergroup score differences or diagnostic of ability. A second factor is the student’s beliefs about intelligence. When 7th grade female students were told intelligence is due to effort and not inherent, they did better on math tests than girls in the control group and performed as well as the boys in their class. A third factor may be concerns about stereotypic evaluations by others. In situations where the evaluator is vague about performance criteria, stereotype threat effects increased in students
If performance criteria were specifically delineated, it helped to reduce stereotype threat effects.
A fourth factor is Social identity salience. The more that a testing environment promoted awareness of one’s social identity, the more performance decreased. A study found that women completed a math test in a room with 0, 1, or 2 other women and several men. Results showed women performed best on the math test when they had two other females in the room, and performed worst when they were the only woman in a room with several men.
How to reduce stereotype threat in students
There are several ways to reduce stereotype threat in students. One way is to let students know that challenging but attainable standards are present. However, this is more relevant in lower grades, before students are aware they can judge their own competencies accurately. Another way is to let them know importance of high expectations. Although this may seem counterintuitive to decreasing stereotype threats, it actually makes the general point to the students that the tester believes they can achieve more because of higher expectations, therefore students who think others expect them to do poorly are more likely going to perform worse. Another way is to give age-appropriate information about the nature of the assessment instruments and the reliable objectives with which they will be scored. Testers can also assure students that scorers of tests will not have access to students’ demographic characteristics. A long term goal for school psychologists is to lobby for test developers to move demographic information to the end of examinations instead of the beginning.
How does this pertain to us as School Psychologists
Stereotype threats are very important to us as school psychologists because we assess students’ achievement and intellect. We have to make sure we do not inadvertently induce stereotype threat effects by asking questions about topics related to a student’s demographic group. Ability/Achievement measures should be placed at the beginning of assessments, before less formal self-report activities (clinical interview, family background, current home environment, self-perceptions of academic functioning). We also shouldn’t describe tests as diagnostic of intellectual ability, and we should consider the possibility of stereotype threat effects when interpreting scores of vulnerable group members.
References
http://www.reducingstereotypethreat.org/definition.html
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.pitts/stereotype_threat_
Jordan, A.H., Lovett, B.J.,(2007). Stereotype threat and test performance: A primer for school
psychologists. Journal of School Psychology, 45, 45-59.
Leadership Presentations: Specific Learning Outcomes
2-3
1) Demonstrate knowledge about and respect for family structures and socio-cultural diversity and demographic shifts in California and the effect of these changes have on pupil learning.- Debbi
2) Demonstrate through discussion, presentations, and writing the ways in which ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and other environmental factors impact pupil learning and academic achievement. - Lauryn
2-10
3) Gain an understanding through reading, research, and discussion of the ways in which educational policies, program, and practices can be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of pupils and their families.- Mona
4) Discuss and understand the ways in which pupil development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by the family-school collaboration.- Lara
2-17
5) Demonstrate self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and skillfulness in relating to ethnically and culturally diverse individuals and families and with this knowledge, effectively communicate information to influence change.- Lana
6) Recognize how his/her own self-esteem affects pupils, staff, and families from all cultural backgrounds.- Natalie
2-24
7) Develop an understanding of family-centered approaches to collaboration with schools.- Sarah
8) Learn how schools, diverse families and communities act as partners in guiding pupils’ acquisition of self-esteem, social and personal responsibility.- Venus
3-3
9) Understand how cultural, ethnic and racial competencies help influence the ability to use negotiation skills, conflict management skills, and mediation skills to help school staffs communicate with difficult and or angry parents, pupils, teachers, and other school staff. - Kelly
10) Demonstrate through discussion and writing knowledge of factors that impede or limit pupil development including stereotyping, socioeconomic status, inadequate language development, negative school climate, and discrimination. - Marla
3-10
11) Recognize the best practices to use with linguistically diverse students by analyzing and discussing language learner attributes the structure of language, and second language acquisition.- Alex
12) Extra person to have choice- Denise
Scoring Rubric for /Leadership Presentation:
4 points
3 points
1-2 points
0 points