College of Education, Center for Student Success Research, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003;
Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Sep 14;118(37). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2026386118.
Increased interest in anti-racist education has motivated the rapidly growing but politically contentious adoption of ethnic studies (ES) courses in US public schools. A long-standing rationale for ES courses is that their emphasis on culturally relevant and critically engaged content (e.g., social justice, anti-racism, stereotypes, contemporary social movements) has potent effects on student engagement and outcomes. However, the quantitative evidence supporting this claim is limited. In this preregistered regression-discontinuity study, we examine the longer-run impact of a grade 9 ES course offered in the San Francisco Unified School District. Our key confirmatory finding is that assignment to this course significantly increased the probability of high school graduation among students near the grade 8 2.0 grade point average (GPA) threshold used for assigning students to the course. Our exploratory analyses also indicate that assignment increased measures of engagement throughout high school (e.g., attendance) as well as the probability of postsecondary matriculation.
对反种族主义教育的兴趣日益浓厚，促使美国公立学校越来越多地开设具有争议的种族研究（Ethnic Studies，简称 ES）课程。ES 课程长期以来的一个基本原理是，它们强调与文化相关且批判性参与的内容（例如社会正义、反种族主义、刻板印象、当代社会运动），对学生的参与和成果有很大的影响。然而，支持这一说法的定量证据有限。在这项预先注册的回归不连续性研究中，我们研究了旧金山联合学区提供的 9 年级 ES 课程的长期影响。我们的关键确认性发现是，在用于分配学生的 8 年级 2.0 绩点（GPA）阈值附近，选修这门课程的学生，其高中毕业的概率显著增加。我们的探索性分析还表明，选修该课程增加了整个高中阶段的参与度（例如出勤率），以及进入高等教育的概率。
