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According to a study on a curriculum at San Francisco Unified School District, a ninth-grade class in ethnic studies has a remarkable and lasting positive effect on students. It increases their engagement in school, likelihood of graduation, and likelihood of enrolling into college.
These findings are a follow-up to earlier research conducted by two of the authors and indicate short-term academic benefits of the course. They were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 6.
According to Thomas S. Dee (a Stanford professor and Stanford Graduate School of Education): "Compelling and causally credible evidence" that the course can change students' lives, said Thomas S. Dee.
Dee was co-author of the study along with Sade Bonilla (a former GSE doctoral student) and Emily K. Penner (an assistant professor at University of California at Irvine, former postdoctoral researcher at GSE).
Lasting gains
This study was conducted in collaboration with SFUSD in a research-practice partnership that started in 2009. SFUSD began a pilot program where students could be automatically assigned to ethnic studies courses as part of their first year social studies requirements in 2010. This was done if they had a minimum GPA of 2.0. Nine out of ten students were Hispanic or Black, and nine percent were Asian.
Dee and Penner published a 2017 study that showed academic gains in ninth grade for students who were encouraged to take the course. Researchers weren't certain that the gains would persist over time as many promising academic interventions quickly fade.
This one stayed. One reason was that attendance improved. Students who took part in the course attended school more often than their peers in high school. They were able to attend school an average of one day per week.
The students also had taken six more courses than the average student in their fourth year of highschool. More than 90% of them graduated in five years, as opposed to 75 percent for their peers. They were also 15% more likely to be enrolled in college within six year. (At the time they participated in the study, they weren't yet old enough for college.
Parallels to psychological interventions
How is it possible that a ninth-grade class could have such an impact? Although there are many theories about the academic impact of ethnic research, Dee highlighted its similarities to recent social psychology insights. All targeted psychological interventions that encourage a sense of belonging at school, affirm personal values, and warn about stereotypes have shown promise in increasing student motivation and engagement.
Dee pointed out that ethnic studies have these characteristics and "a unusually sustained, intensive social-psychological intervention."
Students in SFUSD's ethnic Studies class are able to examine the historical role of their ancestors and learn from the experiences of those groups who have been left out of history textbooks. They examine discrimination against different groups of people due to their race, social class, ethnicity, or country of birth.
Bill Sanderson, assistant superintendent at SFUSD, stated that "the greatest thing about an ethnic studies course is that students can approach an academic course through the perspective of their personal experience." The students are the ones who approach everything in the course.
Sanderson explained that while the basic principles of the class are still the same, teachers adapt the content to meet the needs of their students.
Students learned to critically examine history, which helped them develop their analytical skills across classes. The anti-racism focus also fueled their ideaslism. Researchers said that the course's work goes much deeper than that.
Dee stated, "There is long-standing evidence to show that many historically underserved student feel school environments are hostile or unwelcoming." Particularly, those in the pilot didn't do well academically and felt like they weren't welcome. The ninth grade can be a stressful, transitional year.
Bonilla said that ethnic studies allowed students to "see their community reflected" in the curriculum. Knowing about their ancestors' achievements made them proud, and school felt relevant. This helped to build a sense belonging. Students were reminded that every failure does not have to be an individual's fault by learning about oppression, stereotypes and their consequences. Students did research in the community, and linked school to their lives.
Beyond ethnic studies
Once a student is doing well, "starting a rock rolling downhill" Dee stated, which catalyzes greater motivation.
Dee stated that courses such as these can have a positive impact on students' learning paths. "There is a science to this," Dee said. "And if these mechanisms are valid, then this goes far beyond ethnic studies," Dee said. Schools should encourage culturally-relevant teaching across all subjects.
Dee stated that education policymakers recently focused on curriculum as "low-hanging fruits of education reform" or something comparatively easy to change.
The results may not be easily replicated. Over several years, the district worked with San Francisco State University faculty to refine the curriculum. This university is the home of the nation’s first ethnic studies college program. Sanderson explained that many of the teachers who were hired had previously studied in this department. They also learned how to handle sensitive topics and manage disagreements.
Dee stated that attempts to duplicate this success without similar teacher support and carefully implemented strategies are unlikely to succeed and could even have unintended and harmful consequences. Consider the educational and political consequences of asking teachers to discuss sensitive topics in the classroom, even if they have not been properly trained.
This is especially relevant now that there is a lot of controversy surrounding history curriculum. States and school districts are adopting more requirements and standards for K-12 education in ethnic studies. However, some states are currently debating legislation to ban the 1619 Project, or critical race theory. This is a scholarly analysis of structural racism.
One thing is certain: SFUSD won't be going back. This spring, the board approved making ethnic studies mandatory for high school graduation.
Gabriela Lopez, SFUSD board president, stated that ethnic studies are an integral part of every student's education. She made the statement in March. The statement cited research showing the impact of the curriculum on GPA across disciplines, high-school graduation rates, college-going rates, and a sense of belonging.
