A Multilevel Study of Elementary Male Black Students and White Students

Abstract

A multilevel modeling strategy was used in this study to identify school characteristics linked to student achievement and the relationship between student achievement and student background, educational expectations, and classroom participation. The school characteristics considered included indicators of school organization, context, and climate. The subjects were 2,356 Black male students and White male students in 76 elementary schools. The results indicated that although classroom participation was a significant predictor of achievement for both groups, the strength of the association was affected by school characteristics for the Black males only. In particular, the ability of Black males to translate academic participation into achievement was weakened in large schools and in schools in which most students were from low socioeconomic backgrounds. It was concluded that in those settings, Black male students may be at a disadvantage.