Missing the Mark: Assessing Dispositions and the Reification of Whiteness in Teacher Preparation

In order to explore whether the Watermark^TM Educator Disposition Assessment (EDA) is an equitable assessment for all teacher candidates regardless of race, this study used a Quantitative Critical Race Theory (QuantCrit) methodological design to analyze a pilot implementation of the assessment representing 650 discreet disposition assessments undertaken in 24 designated courses in five distinct programs of educator preparation at a midsized Midwestern university. Chi-square analysis and descriptive statistics from fall 2019–spring 2020 archival data indicate a statistically significant association between the variable race and the average scores assigned to students in multiple EDA assessments, with marked disadvantages for Black teacher candidates. Through this analysis and a careful and critical review of language embedded in each rubric row, the authors argue that the Watermark^TM EDA advances and reifies a set of normative practices that align with dominant White, middle-class cultural values under the guise of objectivity.