Before
Addressing asterisk #1 and #2 from memo – Clearly outlining research questions and hypotheses in introduction, and not implying causality with domain-identification comparisons.
The overarching research question that guides my proposed study is:
How does stereotype awareness influence the standardized testing experiences of African American children in an urban elementary school? The central hypothesis of the quantitative phase is that African American elementary school students who are aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority will significantly underperform on a reading comprehension activity framed as a test diagnostic of intelligence, as compared to when the same activity is framed as nondiagnostic of intelligence. It is also hypothesized that this difference in performance will not be significant for students unaware of societal stereotypes.
A secondary research question is: How will test performance of African
American children be influenced by their level of domain-identification with reading? The first hypothesis concerning this research question is that domainidentified students will perform better than non-domain-identified students in all conditions regardless of stereotype awareness. The second and more important hypothesis is that stereotype-aware students who are domainidentified with reading will experience more of a comparative underperformance in the diagnostic condition, then students who are not domain-identified. This would suggest that the pressure of diagnostic testing has a more significant negative effect on a subset of the stereotyped group that ties their identity to the reading test results. This difference is not expected with the non-stereotype-aware participants.
In order to explore additional dependent variables of interests, quantitative measures will also be administered to each condition to assess state anxiety, self-efficacy, and achievement goal orientation. Hypothesis concerning these variables include: (a) Participants in diagnostic conditions will report
After
The overarching research question that guides my proposed study is:
How does stereotype awareness influence the standardized testing experiences of African American children in an urban elementary school? This research question has been broken down into several specific subquestions and hypotheses:
1.
Does awareness of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority influence the standardized reading test performance of African American elementary school students?
It is hypothesized that African American elementary school students who are aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority will significantly underperform on a reading comprehension activity framed as a test diagnostic of intelligence, as compared to when the same activity is framed as nondiagnostic of intelligence.
2.
Is level of domain-identification with reading related to the standardized test performance of African American elementary school students?
It is hypothesized that African American elementary school students who are domain-identified with reading will perform better than African
American elementary school students not domain-identified with reading.
(a) Is level of domain-identification with reading specifically related to the standardized test performance of African American elementary school students aware of the societal stereotype of
African American intellectual inferiority?

higher levels of anxiety, and lower levels of self-efficacy than participants in nondiagnostic conditions, (b) Stereotype-aware participants in diagnostic conditions will report higher levels of anxiety, lower levels of self-efficacy, and be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than nonstereotype-aware participants in diagnostic conditions, and (c) domainidentified participants will report higher levels of anxiety, lower levels of selfefficacy, and be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than non-domain-identified participants only when they are stereotypeaware.
The qualitative segment of the proposed study will investigate the how African
American students perceive their stereotyped status, and allow for a deeper understanding of the underlying processes. I anticipate that findings from the qualitative data will create a counter-story (DeCuir & Dixson, 2004; Solorzano
& Yosso, 2002) to what we usually hear about African American children. I anticipate that the data will portray students who place their schoolwork in high regard, but are unnerved in standardized testing environments in part by the prospect of being judged stereotypically . (pp. 3-4)
It has already been hypothesized that stereotype-aware African
American elementary school students will underperform on a reading comprehension activity when it is framed as diagnostic of intelligence. This additional hypothesis specifies that within the diagnostic condition, students who are domain-identified with reading will experience more of a comparative underperformance than their counterparts who are not domainidentified with reading. That is, it is hypothesized that the pressure of diagnostic testing has a more significant negative effect on the subset of stereotype-aware students that ties their identity to the reading test results.
3.
Does a diagnostic testing situation have an influence on African
American elementary school students’ levels of anxiety or self-efficacy?
It is hypothesized that African American elementary school students in a diagnostic testing condition will report higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-efficacy that students in a nondiagnostic condition.
(a) Does a diagnostic testing situation have a specific influence on the anxiety and self-efficacy levels of African American elementary school students aware of the societal stereotype of
African American intellectual inferiority?
It is hypothesized that African American elementary students aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority in diagnostic conditions will report higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-efficacy than non-stereotype aware participants in diagnostic conditions.

(i) Does a diagnostic testing situation have a specific influence on the achievement goal orientation of African
American elementary school students aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority?
It is hypothesized that African American elementary students aware of the societal stereotype of African
American intellectual inferiority in diagnostic conditions will be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than non-stereotype aware participants in diagnostic conditions.
(b) Is level of domain-identification with reading specifically related to the test-based anxiety and self-efficacy levels of
African American elementary school students aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority?
It is hypothesized that when subjected to diagnostic testing conditions, domain-identified participants who are stereotypeaware will report higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of self-efficacy than non-domain-identified participants who are stereotype aware.
(i) Is level of domain-identification with reading specifically related to the achievement goal orientation of
African American elementary school students aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority?
It is hypothesized that when subjected to diagnostic

Addressing asterisk #1 and #2 from memo – Clearly outlining research questions and hypotheses in methods, and not implying causality with domainidentification comparisons.
Phase 1
This phase of the study addresses the overarching research question:
How does stereotype awareness influence the standardized testing experiences of African American children in an urban elementary school? The central hypothesis of the Phase 1 is that African American elementary school students who are aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority will significantly underperform on a reading comprehension activity framed as a test diagnostic of intelligence, as compared to when the same activity is framed as nondiagnostic of intelligence. It is also hypothesized that this difference in performance will not be significant for students unaware of societal stereotypes.
A secondary research question is: How will test performance of African
American children be influenced by their level of domain-identification with reading? The first hypothesis concerning this research question is that domainidentified students will perform better than non-domain-identified students in all conditions regardless of stereotype awareness. The second and more important hypothesis is that stereotype-aware students who are domainidentified with reading will experience more of a comparative testing conditions, domain-identified students aware of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority will be more likely to report a performanceavoidance achievement goal than non-domain-identified participants who are aware of the stereotype. (pp. 3-5)
Phase 1
The overarching research question that guides my proposed study is:
How does stereotype awareness influence the standardized testing experiences of African American children in an urban elementary school? A specific subquestion is: Does awareness of the societal stereotype of African American intellectual inferiority influence the standardized reading test performance of
African American elementary school students? The hypotheses that will be used to help answer the research question in Phase 1 is that African American elementary school students who are aware of the societal stereotype of African
American intellectual inferiority will significantly underperform on a reading comprehension activity framed as a test diagnostic of intelligence, as compared to when the same activity is framed as nondiagnostic of intelligence.
A second subquestion is: Is level of domain-identification with reading related to the standardized test performance of African American elementary school students? The first hypothesis concerning this research question is that domain-identified students will perform better than non-domain-identified students in all diagnostic conditions regardless of stereotype awareness. The second and more important hypothesis is that stereotype-aware students who are domain-identified with reading will experience more of a comparative underperformance in the diagnostic condition, then students who are not domain-identified. This would suggest that the pressure of diagnostic testing has a more significant negative effect on a subset of the stereotyped group that ties their identity to the reading test results.

underperformance in the diagnostic condition, then students who are not domain-identified. This would suggest that the pressure of diagnostic testing has a more significant negative effect on a subset of the stereotyped group that ties their identity to the reading test results. This difference is not expected with the non-stereotype-aware participants.
In order to explore additional dependent variables of interests, quantitative measures will also be administered to each condition to assess state anxiety, self-efficacy, and achievement goal orientation. Hypothesis concerning these variables include: (a) Participants in diagnostic conditions will report higher levels of anxiety, and lower levels of self-efficacy than participants in nondiagnostic conditions, (b) Stereotype-aware participants in diagnostic conditions will report higher levels of anxiety, lower levels of self-efficacy, and be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than nonstereotype-aware participants in diagnostic conditions, and (c) domainidentified participants will report higher levels of anxiety, lower levels of selfefficacy, and be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than non-domain-identified participants only when they are stereotypeaware. (pp. 32-34)
Addressing asterisk #3 from memo – Clarifying data analysis plan.
In the proposed study a 2 x 2 experimental design will be utilized for both stereotype-aware participants, and for non-stereotype aware participants.
The factors for each group will be: (a) whether or not the participants are domain-identified with reading, and (b) a test description factor, where the reading activity was presented as either a diagnostic practice standardized test or a nondiagnostic problem-solving activity. A 2 (domain-identification) x 2
(threat condition) MANOVA will be conducted for both sets of participants to evaluate the effects of stereotype threat on reading test scores, anxiety, selfefficacy, and goal orientation. (p. 37)
In order to explore additional dependent variables of interests, quantitative measures will also be administered to each condition to assess test anxiety, self-efficacy, and achievement goal orientation. Hypotheses concerning these variables include: (a) Participants in diagnostic conditions will report higher levels of anxiety, and lower levels of self-efficacy than participants in nondiagnostic conditions, (b) Stereotype-aware participants in diagnostic conditions will report higher levels of anxiety, lower levels of self-efficacy, and be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than nonstereotype-aware participants in diagnostic conditions, and (c) domainidentified participants will report higher levels of anxiety, lower levels of selfefficacy, and be more likely to report a performance-avoidance achievement goal than non-domain-identified participants only when they are stereotypeaware. (pp. 33-34)
In the quantitative phase of the proposed study, two 2 x 2 experimental designs will be utilized; one for stereotype-aware participants, and one for nonstereotype aware participants. The factors for each group of participants will be:
(a) whether or not the participants are domain-identified with reading, and (b) a test description factor, where the reading activity was presented as either a diagnostic practice standardized test or a nondiagnostic problem-solving activity. A 2 (domain-identification) x 2 (threat condition) MANOVA will be conducted for both sets of participants to evaluate the effects of stereotype threat on reading test scores, anxiety, self-efficacy, and goal orientation....
Additionally ex post facto comparisons will be made between domainidentified and non-domain-identified participants on the same dependent variables. (p. 38)

Addressing asterisk #4 from memo – Ending with more information on how mixed methods complement each other to form a more holistic picture.
The qualitative analyses in the proposed study are necessary to sharpen and broaden our knowledge of the stereotype threat phenomenon. The quantitative measures of test scores and the potential mediating factors of stereotype threat
(e.g. self-efficacy) fail to capture some of the issues that are exemplified by qualitative investigation (e.g. Milner & Hoy, 2003). The qualitative phase will provide for a deeper understanding of actions, as they are researched in context, and data will be gathered from the perspective of the participants. This allows for a thorough examination of the entire context, and rich data absent with just the quantitative phase. Examined together, the quantitative and qualitative phases will provide a comprehensive and complementary analysis of the stereotype threat phenomenon, and how it affects African American elementary school students in an urban elementary school preparing for a high-stakes standardized test. (p. 45)