title: Affirmation effects on math scores: The importance of high school track.
abstract: Stereotype threat has been shown to affect academic performance of minority racial groups. Minority girls may experience the burdens of both race and gender - a "double bind" theorized to affect the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. A randomized controlled trial focused on alleviating stereotype threat in three high schools in a large U.S. metro demonstrates the effects of affirmative writing interventions, which have previously shown positive effects for minority and female students. Results indicate effects for these groups were insignificant. However, results also show that student track is highly significant at p < 0.001, and interactive analyses suggest that the intervention may help alleviate threat for higher-achieving students.
authors.affiliation: Rice University, Department of Sociology, MS-28, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA. Electronic address: abancroft@rice.edu.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bancroft
authors.affiliation: Rice University, Department of Sociology, MS-28, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
authors.forename: Jenifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bratter
authors.affiliation: Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
authors.forename: Kristie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rowley
keywords: Math; Race; STEM; Standardized testing; Stereotype threat; Tracking