Castenell and Garrett quoted on academic expectation; graduation rates among black students
Louis Castenell, a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, and Jim Garrett, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, were recently quoted in the Red & Black on whether lower expectation for black students may effect their graduation rates at both the high school and college level.
A lot of research has been done on this, and there is overwhelming evidence that this is absolutely true," said Castenell. “Many white teachers have shared the view that minority kids, particularly brown and black kids, are less motivated to be academically successful.
Lower expectation for black students may play a role in lower graduation rates among black students. In fact, Garrett-who also serves as an on-site instructor for the Professional Development School District-believes that “some teachers do not have high expectations or lack respect for minority students because of ideas Americans grow up with about African Americans.”
Based on Castenell’s research of student-teacher relationships, teachers who do not have confidence in their students’ success typically have lower self-esteem in their ability to teach.