Effects of a Multifaceted Classroom Intervention on Racial Disproportionality

This article reports results from an experimental study of a classroom intervention intended to decrease racial disproportionality in school discipline by focusing on making classroom behavior systems more culturally responsive and changing teacher behaviors (e.g., use of praise and reprimands). The intervention had three main components: (a) an activity to increase the cultural responsiveness of classroom behavior expectations (the personal matrix), (b) a tool to assess individual students’ preferred and nonpreferred ways to receive immediate acknowledgement for desired behaviors (the praise preference assessment), and (c) coaching with visual performance feedback to heighten awareness of racial disparities in use of praise and reprimands and setting goals for racial equity (using a modified version of the Classroom Check-up). The design was a concurrent multiple-baseline single-case design across four general education teachers ranging from kindergarten to seventh grade meeting What Works Clearinghouse standards. Results from the study indicate a functional relation between the intervention and increased rates of praise and decreased rates of reprimands for African American students. Findings from this study suggest that changing teacher use of praise and reprimands may help to increase racial equity in schools.