21 - The Possibilities and Challenges of Applying QuantCrit to School Climate Surveys

Abstract Information: In this session, we will be reflecting and discussing how to apply the principles of Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) to the design, analysis, and reporting of school climate surveys. Scarcely cited prior to 2017, QuantCrit is an emerging framework that combines the principles of Critical Race Theory with the statistical rigor of quantitative methods to both challenge the perceived neutrality of numbers and promote a more equitable, just society. School climate surveys are a prevalent method for gathering metrics related to student engagement, emotional well-being, physical safety, and quality of relationships among students and school staff. Data gathered from school climate surveys are often reported as percentages with certain items being highlighted for statistically significant differences between years and groups of respondents. Considering how school climate data is often disaggregated by various identities including race, there is great, yet relatively unexplored potential in aligning measures of school climate with QuantCrit to provide schools with the insights they need to foster more inclusive learning environments. This session aims to start a dialogue among evaluators who partner with schools and seek to adopt a more critical approach to quantitative methods that acknowledges how numbers derived from statistical analysis are neither objective nor neutral. Open to evaluators with varying levels of familiarity with QuantCrit, this session will (1) review the principles of QuantCrit as they relate to educational research, (2) brainstorm applications of each principle to how school climate data is collected, analyzed, and reported, and (3) discuss the challenges of adopting QuantCrit into our professional practice, whether it is in education or other areas.