Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between school racial climate and students’ self-reports of academic and discipline outcomes, including whether racial climate mediated and/or moderated the relationship between race and outcomes. Using the Racial Climate Survey-High School Version (M. Aber et al., unpublished), data were gathered from African American (n = 382) and European American students (n = 1456) regarding their perceptions of racial climate. About 18% of the respondents were low-income and approximately 50% were male. Positive perceptions of the racial climate were associated with higher student achievement and fewer discipline problems. Further, race moderated the relationship between racial climate and both achievement and discipline outcomes. Finally, racial differences in students’ grades and discipline outcomes were associated with differences in perceptions of racial climate. Results suggest careful attention should be given to the racial climate of secondary schools, particularly for adolescents who perceive schools as unfair.
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Notes
Sobel test equation—z-value = a × b/SQRT(b 2 × s 2a + a 2 × s 2b ). In the Sobel test formula, a = raw (unstandardized) regression coefficient for the association between IV and mediator; s a = standard error of a; b = raw coefficient for the association between the mediator and the DV (when the IV is also the predictor of the DV); s b = standard error of b. The Sobel test calculates the critical ratio as a test of whether the indirect effect on the IV on the DV via the mediator is significantly different from zero (Preacher and Leonardelli 2001).
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We thank the students, staff and administration of the participating school district for their cooperation and support of this work. Thanks also to anonymous reviewers for comments that were extremely helpful in revising this manuscript.
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Mattison, E., Aber, M.S. Closing the Achievement Gap: The Association of Racial Climate with Achievement and Behavioral Outcomes. Am J Community Psychol 40, 1–12 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9128-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-007-9128-x