Dissertation Title: Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Classroom Whiteness Scale (ClaWS) Through Rasch Partial Credit Analysis

Abstract

This pilot study examines how whiteness manifests in K-12 classrooms by developing and evaluating the Classroom Whiteness Scale (ClaWS), an instrument designed to assess in-service teachers’ salience and engagement with whiteness-informed practices. ClaWS consists of 21 items across two subscales: one measuring the salience of whiteness-related beliefs in teachers’ pedagogical decisions and the other capturing the frequency of these practices in classroom settings. Rooted in critical whiteness studies, the scale operationalizes key dimensions of whiteness, including ethnocentric monoculturalism, white standardization, white silence, right to comfort, white saviorism, and colorblind racial ideology.

Using Rasch Partial Credit Model (RPCM) analysis, this study assessed the psychometric properties of ClaWS with a sample of in-service teachers (N = 216). Findings indicate that while the scale demonstrates strong item reliability and structural validity, limitations in person separation suggest the need for refinement to better differentiate respondents across the whiteness salience and engagement continuum. Additionally, Principal Component Analysis of Rasch Residuals (PCAR) revealed a secondary dimension reflecting ideological divergences in teachers’ perspectives on whiteness, indicating a nuanced interplay between power, authority, and racial equity in educational settings. This study introduces a tool to measure teachers’ whiteness-informed practices, emphasizing the need for continued research and instrument refinement.

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