Will I Ever Teach? Latino and African American Students’ Perspectives on PRAXIS I

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the PRAXIS I experiences of African American and Latino undergraduates seeking admission into teacher education at a Big Ten university. Participants were 44 students selected from a larger sample enrolled in a recruitment and support program aimed at members of underrepresented minority groups. The theoretical framework included ethnic identity development, stereotype threat, cultural continuity/discontinuity, and bias in standardized testing. Findings showed differences between Latino and African American students who took PRAXIS I and gender and socioeconomic differences within each ethnic group. Three “composite portraits” revealed similarities and differences across race, class, and gender and evidence that PRAXIS I is an inequitable admissions tool.