About this paper symposium

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Panel information
Panel 8. Education, Schooling

Paper #1
Balancing Corrections with Connections: Identifying Classroom Typologies Across Differing Classroom Contexts
Author information	Role
Dr. Juliana Karras, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, United States	Presenting author
Jasmine B. Johnson, Fordham University, United States	Non-presenting author
Carola Suárez-Orozco, Harvard Graduate School of Education, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
The multi-dimensional social and academic interactions in classroom climates differentially impact children’s social-emotional and academic well-being (Pianta & Allen, 2008; Reyes et al., 2012). However, not all classroom climates are created equal. Although evidence suggests inequitable classroom experiences are more common in classrooms with students from marginalized backgrounds, these processes have yet to be systematically studied at the classroom-level (Carter et al., 2017). Determining classroom typologies that promote student well-being while simultaneously accounting for educational inequities requires both a dataset and analytical approach that can effectively consider distinct patterns in classroom social interactions and whether certain patterns are more likely to occur in classrooms with specific socio-demographic characteristics. In the Making the Invisible Visible (MIV) study (Karras et al., 2021), a systematic video-based observational coding protocol was developed and applied to 610 videos from the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) study (White & Rowan, 2013). Through LPA using Mplus (Muthén & Muthén, 1998-2012) we: (1) identified classroom profiles regarding the MIV-coded dimensions; (2) examined classroom and teacher characteristics that distinguished between profile membership (Neblett et al., 2016). Methods Sample The video-coding software, INTERACT, was used to code 610 MET study videos of diverse 4th-9th grade public school classrooms representing 222 schools across six urban U.S. school districts (see Table 1). Measures MET data provides: (1) classroom characteristics, e.g., grade, subject (ELA, ELA+Math, Math), plus percentages of students’ ethnic/racial identity, free/reduced lunch eligibility; (2) teacher characteristics, e.g., ethnic/racial identity, gender. The MIV video-based observational protocol documented teachers’: (1) Classroom Management- (a) positive reinforcements, (b) corrections/redirections, (c) classroom order/chaos; (2) Teacher Relationship Behaviors-(a) enhancing (e.g., socioemotional attunement/bonding), (b) detracting (e.g., disrespect/disparagement); and (3) Cognitive Instruction-(a) stimulation/challenge (e.g., high-quality questions/rigor), (b) intellectual scaffolding (e.g., clear objectives/supports). Results A 4-group solution was identified as the best fitting model (AIC=16464.43; BIC=16542.47), by balancing the number of typologies identified with their theoretical and practical significance (Wantchekon & Umaña-Taylor, 2021). Table 2 provides profile descriptions: (1) Middle-Management Focused (34.1%); (2) Most Optimal (58.9%); (3) Most Chaotic (5.2%); (4) Most Detracting (1.8%). Combined ELA-Math classes were associated with a lower likelihood of Most Optimal membership, ꭓ2=9.627, p=.002, and a marginally lower likelihood of Most Chaotic membership, ꭓ2=2.743, p=.098, relative to Middle-Management. In contrast, ELA classes were associated with a greater likelihood of Most Optimal membership, ꭓ2=4.417, p=.036, relative to Middle-Management. Additionally, classrooms with white teachers were marginally more likely to be associated with Most Optimal membership, ꭓ2=3.751, p=.053, and significantly more likely to be associated with Most Chaotic membership, ꭓ2=4.428, p=.035, relative to Middle-Management. ELA classes were more likely to be Most Optimal, and notably the inclusion of Math instruction for combined ELA-Math classes decreased odds of Most Optimal membership but tempered the odds of Most Detracting membership. Classrooms with white teachers were complicated; they were marginally more likely to be Most Optimal classrooms, but significantly more likely to be Most Chaotic classroom type as well, relative to the Middle Management classes. Implications of findings and future directions will be discussed.

Paper #2
Teacher’s Racial Inequity Beliefs, Classroom Racial Climate, and Change Over Time in Student-Teacher Relationships
Author information	Role
Naila Smith, University of Virginia, United States	Presenting author
Kamilah Legette, University of Denver, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Student-teacher relationships (STRs) are an essential part of the opportunity structure in schools that promote children’s learning, development, and well-being, especially for youth of color facing structural inequities in the school system (Carter & Welner, 2013; García-Rodríguez et al., 2023; Spilt & Koomen, 2022). However, Black and Brown youth are at higher risk of having less close and more conflictual relationships with teachers over time (Spilt & Hughes, 2015). Theory suggests racism influences teachers’ beliefs and behaviors in the classroom and thus their relationships with students (Alamos & Williford, 2023) but few studies have examined how teachers racialized beliefs and behaviors shape STRs over time. This study seeks to fills this research gap and identify levers for addressing racial disparities in education. Our research questions were: (1) How do STRs (closeness, conflict) change over time? (2) How do teacher racial inequity beliefs and classroom racial climate relate to change over time in STR closeness and conflict? (3) Do these associations differ by race? We used three waves of data from youth (N = 354; 52% female; 3rd-5th graders; 7 to 11 years old, M = 9.43, SD = 0.97; 39.5% Hispanic, 36.6% White, 14.9% Black) and their teachers (N = 35; 78% female; 92.3% White). Youth reported on their closeness and conflict with teachers in the fall, winter, and spring using the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (Pianta, 1992). Teachers reported in the fall on their Racial Inequity Beliefs (Legette et al., 2023) and Classroom Racial Climate (Byrd, 2017). Results of latent growth curve analyses in Mplus 8 (Muthén & Muthén, 1998-2017; see Tables 1 & 2) showed STR closeness started moderately high and declined slightly over time. STR conflict started low and slightly increased over time. Clustering by classroom, and controlling for student grade and race, and teacher race, and years of teaching, teachers racialized beliefs and classroom behaviors predicted STR over time. Higher initial teacher cultural socialization predicted increasing closeness over time. Higher initial promotion of cultural competence was associated with declining closeness over time. Teachers with stronger initial American Dream beliefs had decreasing conflict with students over time. Teachers with stronger initial school racial inequity beliefs had increasing conflict with students over time. Our findings suggest that teacher messages centering student’s cultural backgrounds might foster closeness, perhaps because this practice creates an affirming point of connection with students. Contrastingly, promoting cultural diversity had the opposite effect and upholding the status quo (i.e., American Dream beliefs that hard work pays off for everyone regardless of race) was associated with less conflict with students. These findings may be due to the controversial and polarizing nature of these issues in the broader U.S. society which may leave students feeling conflicted about teachers who raise these issues in the classroom. We do not think these findings mean equity-centered classrooms are bad for STRs. Rather elementary-school teachers may need more support to enact these practices and beliefs in class in ways that foster greater student-teacher connection. Next steps will examine racial group differences.

Paper #3
School-Based Contributors to Adolescents’ Ethnic-Racial Public Regard
Author information	Role
Kristia Wantchekon, M.Ed., Georgetown University, United States	Presenting author
Isabelle González, Georgetown University, United States	Non-presenting author
Deborah Rivas-Drake, University of Michigan, United States	Non-presenting author
Adriana Umaña-Taylor, Harvard University, United States	Non-presenting author
Abstract
Adolescents’ ethnic-racial identity (ERI) plays a critical role in global identity developmental processes, which are highly salient and consequential during adolescence (Umana-Taylor et al., 2014). ERI reflects the process through which individuals learn about their ethnic-racial background, as well as the beliefs and feelings they develop about their background (Umana-Taylor et al., 2014). One important ERI belief is public regard, which reflects how positively individuals believe others view their ethnic-racial group. Adolescence is a critical period for the formation of public regard because youths’ widening social worlds and increased cognitive abilities sharpen their understanding of social dynamics around ethnicity and race and help them more readily recognize discrimination (Williams et al., 2020). To better understand how adolescents’ growing social awareness and experiences of discrimination inform their public regard, it is important to consider the role of central developmental contexts in adolescence (e.g., schools). Relatedly, ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) emphasizes the importance of not only considering how youths’ contexts shape their development, but also how youths’ behaviors and characteristics shape their developmental contexts. As such, we examined the associations among adolescents’ public regard and two school contextual factors: experiences with school discrimination and sense of school belonging. Leveraging prospective longitudinal data, and consistent with notions from ecological theory, we tested potential directional associations among these constructs over the course of a school year. Data are from a longitudinal study of 9th to 12th grade students attending two ethnoracially diverse high schools in the Midwest and Southwest U.S. and were gathered in October 2017 and March 2018. The sample (n = 2,060; Mage = 15.91; 46% boys, 52% girls, 2% other) self-identified as Black (44%), Asian American (20%), and Latine (36%). Measures included public regard (3 items; Scottham et al., 2008), school discrimination (3 items; Fisher et al., 2000), and school belonging (5 items, McNeely et al., 2002). We fit a series of cross-lagged panel models with ethnic-racial background (Black, Latine, or Asian American) as the grouping variable; gender, grade, and school site were included as controls. A baseline unconstrained model allowed all paths to vary across groups; we then sequentially constrained individual paths, conducting chi-square difference tests to examine whether path estimates differed across groups (Table 1). The final model (Figure 1) demonstrated excellent fit and indicated that, across all groups: higher school belonging was associated with increases in public regard, and higher school discrimination was associated with decreases in public regard – suggesting both inform changes in adolescents’ understanding of their ethnic-racial group’s social status across the year. Additionally, across groups, higher public regard was associated with increases in school belonging – suggesting a concurrent bidirectional relation between the two variables across the school year. Lastly, across groups, public regard was not associated with changes in school discrimination – providing no evidence that youths’ views of their ethnic-racial group’s social status relate to shifts in their experiences with school discrimination. Discussion will connect findings to related research on how school contexts and experiences shape adolescents’ beliefs about their ERI.

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