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Racial Discrimination in Grading: Evidence from Brazil

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  • Fernando Botelho
  • Ricardo Madeira, Marcos A. Rangel

Abstract

We investigate whether racial discrimination taking the form of the biased assessment of students is prevalent within Brazilian schools. Robust evidence is drawn from unique data pertaining to middle-school students and educators. After holding constant performance in blindly scored tests of proficiency and behavioral traits, we find that teacher-assigned Mathematics grades suffer from cardinal and ordinal biases. We unveil strong indications that these effects result from incomplete information issues highlighted in models of statistical discrimination which are made particularly salient by social promotion schemes currently operational in our context.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando Botelho & Ricardo Madeira, Marcos A. Rangel, 2015. "Racial Discrimination in Grading: Evidence from Brazil," Working Papers, Department of Economics 2015_04, University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
    • Handle: RePEc:spa:wpaper:2015wpecon4
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    File URL: http://www.repec.eae.fea.usp.br/documentos/Botelho_Madeira_Rangel_04WP.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    race; schooling; grading; standardized tests; statistical discrimination;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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