Study finds racial bias in teacher comments on student behavior

A recent study analyzed over 3.5 million teacher comments on student behavior and found evidence of racial bias. Teachers used harsher language for Black students compared to their white peers, while comments for Asian and Hispanic students were less negative. The research revealed that teachers wrote more detailed and negative comments about Black students, using words associated with anger and disrespect. In contrast, comments about boys were more negative than those about girls, indicating a gender bias as well. Schools are now adopting equity-focused strategies to address these biases. These include training educators to analyze discipline data and consider cultural differences, aiming to create fairer disciplinary practices and improve student-teacher relationships.