Ratings in black and white: a quantcrit examination of race and gender in teacher evaluation reform

Abstract

ABSTRACT Education policy reform is often created and implemented in ways that advantage White individuals. This is even more salient when examining the intersection of race and gender identities. Using North Carolina’s teacher evaluation system as a policy reform case, I examine whether there are differential observation ratings between Black and White women. The findings show that when Black and White women were similarly effective in the classroom, administrators rated Black women lower. However, there was no statistically significant influence on ratings by having a principal of the same race and gender as teachers. Black women were roughly two times more likely to be placed on a punitive professional development plan than White women. This study contributes to the narrow discourse on the effects of policies on Black women and provides policymakers with recommendations to ensure that teacher evaluation systems are justly implemented.