Disparities in early reading have profound consequences for children’s life trajectories, especially for Black students. Teachers’ racial literacy, the skills and practices by which teachers understand and navigate the impacts of race and racism in the classroom, is a potential critical lever for reducing inequality in education. Despite a strong theoretical base, there is a dearth of research around the measurement of racial literacy. The proposed project builds on an innovative literacy initiative, the 3Rs (Reading, Racial Equity, Relationships), a system-based program that aims to improve early literacy outcomes, particularly for Black students, that uses high-quality racially affirming picture books within communities of practice to develop teachers’ racial literacy and promote equitable reading practices. The team will use a three-year, mixed-method multi-phase study to test existing theories of racial literacy and examine its associations with teaching practices and student literacy outcomes. Findings will provide a well-theorized and quantitatively tested measure of racial literacy, whose links to practice and student outcomes can be tested systematically in future research.
How can racial literacy be developed and measured, and how is it associated with culturally informed teaching practices and student reading outcomes?
