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First published online February 1, 2008

The Effects of Stereotypes on the Achievement Gap: Reexamining the Academic Performance of African American High School Students

J. Thomas Kellow and Brett D. JonesView all authors and affiliations
Volume 34, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798407310537

Abstract

This study investigated whether African American high school freshman students experience stereotype threat when taking a test that is seen as a predictor of their success on a high-stakes test. The authors conceptually replicated a previous study by Kellow and Jones (2005) using a true experimental design, as opposed to a quasi-experimental design. White students scored statistically significantly higher than African American students when told that their test performance would be predictive of their performance on a statewide, high-stakes standardized test. The following potential mediators of stereotype threat were included in the study and the effects of each are discussed: (a) perceptions of ability and expectancy for success, (b) achievement goal orientation, (c) anxiety, and (d) perceptions of stereotype threat. The results suggest that African American students are at a disadvantage compared to White students when their knowledge and skills are measured using a high-stakes standardized test. Implications for high-stakes testing of African American students are discussed.

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Published In

Volume 34, Issue 1
Pages: 94 - 120
Article first published online: February 1, 2008
Issue published: February 2008

Keywords

  1. stereotype threat
  2. achievement gap
  3. African American academic achievement
  4. stereotype lift

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Brett D. Jones
Virginia Tech
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