Psychology Prof. Sandra Waxman introduced a new approach to measuring racial disparities in preschool classrooms Monday afternoon in Chambers Hall. Her presentation was part of the Institute for Policy Research’s Fay Lomax Cook Winter 2025 Colloquium Series.

Waxman is collaborating with SESP Prof. Terri Sabol and Psychology Prof. Leoandra “Onnie” Rogers to develop an innovative “web-based measurement platform” that analyzes moment-to-moment interactions between students and teachers. She said achieving a “360-degree view” of preschool classrooms is critical to understanding and combating racial disparities in early childhood education.

“Being in the classroom shapes a child’s expectations of themselves and their peers as students and playmates,” Waxman said. “(Disciplinary actions) have pretty terrible consequences, and this means not all kids have the opportunity to benefit from positive learning experiences in preschool.”

Expulsions and suspensions of pre-K students interfere with identity formation, hinder academic performance and negatively impact emotional well-being, Waxman said. Therefore, she said prohibiting them is “necessary but not sufficient.”

The team’s analysis of classroom interactions is building off of a 2016 study conducted by Yale Prof. Walter S. Gilliam. He employed eye-tracking technology to conclude teachers were more likely to focus on Black boys when anticipating misbehavior.

“To my knowledge, the data from (Gilliam’s) highly publicized study have never been published in a peer-reviewed journal,” Waxman said. “They were published in a working paper from the Yale Child Study Center, and that’s a fancy place. But there’s nothing quite like peer review.”

Waxman said she reached out to Gilliam to learn more about his methodology but has not received specific details.

Despite this challenge, her team hopes to replicate his study, using eye-tracking technology alongside CHAT-E (Childhood Assessment Tool-Electronic) to examine the biases present in both teachers and students. Alexis Winter, IPR’s assistant director for marketing and communications, praised Waxman’s approach.

“I was fascinated by (Waxman’s) innovative methods to study issues that are difficult to ask people, especially young children, about directly,” Winter said. “Methods are often overlooked, but they’re so important.”

Many attendees expressed interest in how these biases manifest in everyday classroom interactions and what interventions could mitigate them.

After her presentation concluded, Waxman also fielded questions from colleagues, including Psychology Prof. Sylvia Perry.

“I thought the presentation was excellent,” Perry said. “As the mother of a Black boy, this topic has personally impacted me, and it was really refreshing to hear someone validate my experiences.”

Waxman concluded by stressing the significance of this research for shaping future policies and teaching practices.

She said the team’s findings could provide valuable insight into how educators interact with students and how biases — whether explicit or implicit — affect learning environments.

“This research will be a forefront of discovering what’s going on in the hearts and minds of students and teachers,” Waxman said. “The question is how do these biases — as systemic as they are — play out in the classroom, and what are their downstream consequences?”

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Twitter: @jdowb2005

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