Race Education in Wauwatosa and Multiracial Identity Development

Presentation by Antonia Arney

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Introduction

◍ My name is Antonia Arney and I am a recent graduate of Wauwatosa East.

◍ Through my AP Research class, I spent last year researching and collecting data for my research paper entitled “Race Education and Multiracial Identity Development:Fostering Strong, Positive Identities in Multiracial Elementary School Students”.

◍ Today, I will be presenting an overview of my research and its conclusions.

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Problem Statement

There is a problem with the way elementary schools in southeastern Wisconsin address race and multiracial identity in the classroom. Despite access to teaching

practices that could be put in place to support multiracial students, these children are statistically more likely to develop anxiety and depression. Perhaps a study that implements beneficial teaching practices into upper elementary school classrooms and observes the results would shed some light on how to remedy

this issue.

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Research Question

Could implementing positive multiracial education practices in

elementary schools foster a stronger, more positive sense of identity in multiracial children in southeastern

Wisconsin?

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Important Definitions

◍ Multiracial children

◍ Race Education

◍ Identity Development

◍ Strong Sense of Identity

◍ Positive Multiracial Education Practices

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Hypothesis

Multiracial elementary school students in Wauwatosa will be positively impacted by adding positive race

education practices to their existing race education curriculum.

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Methods: Inquiry Process

◍ Data was collected in two phases.

◍ Phase 1: ◌ Interview with two 5th grade teachers◌ Interviews with 5th grade students in their class◌ Analysis of Second Step curriculum

◍ Phase 2: ◌ Distribution of survey to Wauwatosa East high school

students◌ Distribution of survey to a population of local

adults

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Influential Sources

Piper, R. E. (2019). The Power of Interactive Multicultural Read-Alouds with Elementary-Aged Children. Education Sciences, 9(2), 141. doi: 10.3390/educsci9020141

◍ This is a good model for the kind of research I’m doing◍ Mixed method, primarily qualitative

Goth, K., Foelsch, P., Schlüter-Müller, S., Birkhölzer, M., Jung, E., Pick, O., & Schmeck, K. (2012). Assessment of identity development and identity diffusion in adolescence - Theoretical basis and psychometric properties of the self-report questionnaire AIDA. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 6(1), 27. doi: 10.1186/1753-2000-6-27

◍ Justification/model for the way I’m assessing identity development◍ The questions in here can be tweaked to ask 5th graders

Renn, K. A. (2008). Research on Biracial and Multiracial Identity Development: Overview and synthesis. New Directions for Student Services, 123(1), 13–21. doi: 10.1002/ss.282

◍ Used to create rubric for content analysis. Has a lot of good information about Multiracial identity development.

Annotated Bibliography Final Bibliography

Results: Overview

Interviews:◍ 2 5th grade teachers◍ 7 5th grade students

◌ 1 multiracial female student

◌ 2 multiracial male students

◌ 2 monoracial male students◌ 2 monoracial female

students

Surveys:◍ 110 student responses◍ 68 adult responses

Content analysis:◍ A rubric was created

and used to evaluate the race education curriculum at this school.

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Key Points: Teacher Interviews

◍ Teachers assumed the lessons about personal identity (Second Step) would apply to the students’ racial identities, and these lessons would impact their thoughts about race more than history lessons.

◍ Throughout the interview, the teachers revealed some discomfort around talking about race in the classroom.

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Results: Student Interviews

“I’m not multiracial, I’m part Puerto Rican”

“Sometimes, I guess. When I had to go in a group with somebody, and I didn’t know them, they were African American. I got scared because they were all

African American”

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“Sometimes. Basically, like going through different friends. Being around different groups of people I sometimes feel uncomfortable”

“Yeah, sort of. I don’t think it’s important for them to understand where I

come from”

Key Points: Student Interviews

◍ Multiracial students revelvealed a lack of awareness of multiraciality, as well as a discomfort around talking about race.

◍ During the interviews, monoracial students showed extreme discomfort while talking about race and racial issues at school.

◍ Extreme discomfort and lack of knowledge around discussing multiraciality was prevalent in five out of the seven interviews.

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Results: Curriculum Analysis

The Second Step curriculum encourages discussion among peers about individual differences, but it does not

encourage racial discussions specifically. Based on the rubric, Second Step scored a two out of ten. The curriculum defines prejudice, but does not address racial prejudice specifically, nor does it discuss the history or source of prejudice. The term ‘race’ is never defined, and no racial language is used in any lesson. Racial identity is not mentioned at all. Privilege is also not addressed or

defined throughout the curriculum.

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Key Points: Curriculum Analysis

◍ Second Step is not sufficient race education. The results of the analysis support the hypothesis that students would benefit from further multiracial education.

◍ Results disprove the assumption that students in this district have a basic understanding of race and racial issues.

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Key Points: Student Survey Multiple Choice Responses

◍ Of the students exposed to Second Step, 38% have no memory of race education in elementary school.

◍ Of the students that cited elementary school as their first experience with race education, 92% of students cited some sort of history lesson as their first experience with race.

◍ 10.9% of students reported actually participating in racial discussions in elementary school.

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Results: Student Survey Narrative Responses

“It was probably during 6th grade social studies class. There were

definitely times there would be racial slurs said during school time or during recess that I would hear but I never

made a note of it.”

“I remember discussing MLK Jr. Day in elementary school.”

“Like I didn’t get to have a say/opinion because I’m half white and half Asian so I’m not a ‘minority’”

“I think for me it’s more of a thing where I don’t feel like I should

speak on it as a white person, but at the same it’s expected to be

discussed in classes of all or mostly white kids which just perpetuates the

issue”

“Nervous and ambivalent, I think we've been taught from a young age to feel discomfort when confronted with

this topic so I definitely felt uncomfortable, and also frustrated about some things people said.”

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Key Points: Student Survey Narrative Responses

◍ Responses show a general feeling of inadequacy around students’ experiences with race education.

◍ Many students had answers that displayed feelings of white fragility.

◍ 82.4%, of students expressed discomfort when discussing race at school.

◍ The majority of students displayed signs of having an insecure racial identity.

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Key Points: Adult Survey

◍ 86.8%, of adults believe race should be discussed in elementary school or before.

◍ The majority of the adults stated in some way that children have an awareness of race that should not be ignored

◍ I can assume the community would support discussing race more extensively in elementary school.

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Conclusion 1

Wauwatosa’s race education curriculum does not adequately educate students about race and

racial issues.

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Conclusion 2

Students in Wauwatosa would benefit from more extensive race education that aims to foster strong, positive racial identities in all students.

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Limitations

◍ School closures and social distancing requirements necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic made collecting data more complicated.

◍ Because of the closures, I only interviewed a small sample of elementary school students and teachers.

◍ The majority of respondents to the surveys self identified as White.

◍ Shortened time for data collection meant I could not observe the results of the curriculum on the same group of students over time.

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Future Recommendation 1

I recommend a more extensive inquiry into the environment around race education in

Wauwatosa. Specifically, I recommend a more extensive inquiry into the discomfort observed in elementary school and high

school students.

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Future Recommendation 2

After a more extensive inquiry is carried out, I recommend the district make efforts to develop a new race education curriculum with the help of a

race education expert. I recommend the new curriculum educates elementary school students about race and racial issues and aims to help

students develop a strong, positive sense of their own racial identity.

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Future Recommendation 3

Finally, I recommend the district support a study that investigates the impact of implementing a new race

education curriculum.

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Further Reading

Full paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YyRFtiMGVsIL8QiNfSdLuJwF7BQu3_qlnlebcZpt4Tk/edit?usp=sharing

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eLza79CjJUaqUvVNvKetwlXzq_0pPeY16bhVscILqlw/edit?usp=sharing

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