Exploring teacher judgments of children based on indices of poverty /by Melissa Freitas.

This study sought to further explore the bases and implications of teacher judgments related to student socioeconomic status (SES). Teacher judgments of students were examined using hypothetical student profiles and questionnaires designed for this study. Student SES was indicated by student appearance and background information indicating eligibility for free/reduced-price lunch programs. Teachers rated hypothetical students on behavior, academic performance and future academic potential. Participants were also asked to indicate the likelihood of taking various courses of action to address each student???s academic difficulties. Although results indicated no significant effect of SES appearance or background information on teacher judgments of behavior, student appearance and background information did have a significant effect on teacher judgments of student academic performance and future academic potential, with lower SES students receiving lower ratings than higher SES students. Within students who were not eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, teachers were more likely to recommend a referral for special education services for students whose appearance indicated that they were of lower SES. Results are discussed in terms of future research and the development of methods to ameliorate teacher biases and negative outcomes for lower SES students