The Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health


Research Rundown Issue: September '19
Publisher: American Academy of Pediatrics
Date Published: August '19


Description

In a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers evidence for practitioners about the continued negative impact of racism on the health and well-being of children. The statement, intended to help providers proactively engage in strategies to improve their patient’s health and well-being, outlines the links between implicit and explicit biases, institutional structures, interpersonal relationships, and long-term health outcomes.

Why This Matters in Minnesota

AAP findings are just as relevant to education as they are to health. There is extensive research that illustrates the long-term impact biases, both implicit and explicit, can have with regard to student learning and outcomesstudent discipline, and a teacher’s expectations. As the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) works to amend the Standards of Effective Practice—the core set of knowledge and skills that all teacher candidates in Minnesota teacher preparation programs learn—it is imperative that they consider how the standards will ensure teacher preparation programs prepare their teacher candidates to be self-reflective practitioners who understand how their personal and cultural biases may and/or do have an impact on students, families, and their teaching. Furthermore, we encourage districts and charter schools to use this information to review their curricula and professional development with an equity lens.

Read the policy statement