Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute (MPSI) Research Colloquium Series

Building Them Up: Racial and Ethnic Socialization among Racially Minoritized Youth

Presenter: Deborah Rivas-Drake, PhD, Stephanie J. Rowley Collegiate Professor, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, Justice, & Equity, Marsal School of Education, University of Michigan

Despite the growing interest in social and emotional learning (SEL) implementation in K-12 settings, few measures exist to assess the extent to which teachers address racial equity through their SEL practices. In this talk, I describe the interactive mixed-method approach we took in developing the Racial Equity-oriented Social and Emotional Learning (REQSEL) practices measure. Findings across our four studies suggest (1) evidence of strong internal consistency and validity for the 41-item REQSEL; (2) REQSEL scores were correlated with multiple relevant measures of teachers’ beliefs and behaviors regarding race, ethnicity, culture, and social justice; and (3) REQSEL scores were correlated with teachers’ own ethnic-racial identity exploration and resolution.