San Francisco ethnic studies courses boost
A multi-year study of San Francisco Unified School District students found those taking ethnic studies courses saw higher GPAs, lower failure rates, and
Students in the San Francisco Unified School District who took ethnic studies courses showed measurable academic and attendance improvements, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed 16 school years of data, from 2007 to 2023, tracking about 24,200 middle and high school students.
The study, published earlier this year in the American Educational Research Journal, was compiled by researchers from the University of California system and the University of Pennsylvania. It found the courses correlated with significant gains across several key metrics.
Key academic findings
The research identified clear academic benefits for students enrolled in the culturally relevant curricula. Students saw an average GPA increase of 0.17 points. They also had a 27% lower likelihood of failing a course. Also, participants had a 15% higher chance of meeting the University of California system's required GPA threshold for admission.
The strongest academic gains were observed in math and science subjects. Black, Latinx, students with disabilities, boys, and students with lower prior academic performance experienced especially pronounced improvements.
Building connection and belonging
Researchers link the academic gains to increased student engagement and a stronger sense of belonging. Study co-author Sade Bonilla, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, noted the course's timing is key.
"Students are going through a rapid phase of their development in adolescence," Bonilla said. "The course is hitting at a time in that development where students are being exposed more to society and our complicated world."
She explained that the curriculum's honest approach to difficult historical and societal topics draws students in. That level of honesty draws students in, Bonilla stated. It increases their sense of belonging and trust, and makes them open to engaging with school in a way that they otherwise might not be.
Co-author Emily Penner, an associate professor at UC Irvine's School of Education, echoed this. She said the study measured not only grades but increased attachment to school, alongside gains in attendance and total credits earned. These broader findings will be detailed in a subsequent paper.
Having an anchor class like this that focuses on students' relationships and well-being gets them connected in a way that they might not have been if they were in a different class, Penner said. She added that researchers observed students building strong relationships with teachers and peers in these classrooms.
Context and district-level success
The San Francisco analysis provides a deep quantitative look at ethnic studies outcomes. Bonilla noted a long history of qualitative, ethnographic work on similar programs, such as a Mexican-American studies program in Tucson, Arizona, and a course for Puerto Rican students in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The latter also showed attendance and grade increases.
Penner pointed out that the Tucson research focused on test scores or graduation outcomes, which she said is less causal in its implications than the San Francisco study's design.
She highlighted the district-wide implementation in San Francisco as noteworthy. There's not a ton of educational interventions, especially operated at a district-wide level, having a successful pilot and then expanding when they succeed, Penner said. She expressed hope to study other California districts implementing similar ethnic studies programs.
