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Teacher Perceptions, Test Scores, and Racial Disparities in the Classroom

Maria Zhu

Journal of Human Resources2026https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0325-14148r2article
AJG 3ABDC A*
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This study provides new insights on the expression of bias through disparate treatment of students by race. Specifically, I examine racial discrepancies in teachers’ evaluations of student achievement, conditional on standardized test achievement. After correcting for measurement error in standardized test scores, results indicate that teachers evaluate Black students as higher achieving than White students with the same standardized test performance. This finding contrasts with previous research on Black-White teacher assessment gaps outside of the US. These results are consistent with multiple potential mechanisms, such as teachers holding lower expectations for Black students or bias embedded in standardized tests.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0325-14148r2

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@article{maria2026,
  title        = {{Teacher Perceptions, Test Scores, and Racial Disparities in the Classroom}},
  author       = {Maria Zhu},
  journal      = {Journal of Human Resources},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0325-14148r2},
}

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Teacher Perceptions, Test Scores, and Racial Disparities in the Classroom

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.