This brief was developed using Microsoft Copilot and edited by Charlotte Sutcliffe, Duke undergraduate research assistant; for full text and references see
Rangel, M. A., & Shi, Y. (2023). First impressions matter: Evidence among elementary-school teachers. Retrieved from https://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2023/11/01/jhr.1121-12003R2.abstract
Background:
This study investigates how early classroom experiences shape racial biases in teacher assessments, focusing on 4th and 5th grade elementary school teachers in North Carolina. Using administrative data from 2007–2013, the authors compare subjective teacher evaluations with blind-scored standardized test results to identify racial disparities in student assessments in math and reading.
Findings:
The findings reveal that, even after controlling for standardized test performance and student demographics, teachers continuously rate Black students lower than White peers. On a four-point scale, the average Black student is rated 0.060 points lower than an equivalent White student, equivalent to 0.07 standard deviations or 2.5% lower likelihood of being deemed proficient. These disparities persist across subjects and grades and are not explained by student behavior, effort, or prior teacher evaluations.
Crucially, the study links these racial disparities to the composition of teachers’ initial classrooms. Teachers who begin their careers in classrooms where Black students underperform relative to White peers are more likely to rate future Black students lower, even when those students perform equally well on standardized tests. This effect is particularly pronounced when the lowest-performing Black student in the initial classroom is outscored by a larger share of White students. In contrast, exposure to high-performing Black students does not significantly improve future evaluations of Black students, suggesting that teachers respond differently to experiences that confirm stereotypes verses those that defy stereotypes.
The study rules out alternative explanations such as certain teachers being assigned to specific classes/schools and finds no similar effects for gender-based assessment gaps. It also shows that these first impressions remain influential up to three years into a teacher’s career, with no evidence that subsequent classroom experiences override initial biases.
Takeaways:
These findings highlight the long-term implications of early teacher experiences for racial equity in education. Biased assessments can influence student self-perception, academic tracking, and long-term educational outcomes. The authors suggest that interventions, such as structured grading rubrics, implicit bias training, and strategic classroom assignments for novice teachers, may help mitigate the formation and persistence of racial biases in teacher evaluations.