Joseph Rios, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology’s quantitative methods in education program, is partnering with Jennifer Randall–an associate professor in Research, Educational Measurement, & Psychometrics (REMP) at University of Massachusetts Amherst’s College of Education–on a study that evaluates the recruitment and retention of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students in measurement doctoral programs. The researchers are surveying and interviewing doctoral measurement programs about their current recruitment and retention strategies and plans for the future. They are also asking PhD students enrolled in these programs how they were recruited and what recommendations they have for measurement programs looking to improve their recruitment and retention strategies.

This Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant was awarded to help diversify the field of measurement and is the second study the duo has worked on together. In their first project, Rios and Randall analyzed data on measurement students over the last two decades. They found, in any given year, a maximum of 10 Hispanic and 20 Black students graduate from measurement doctoral programs, while Asian and White students graduate a minimum of 44 and 73 students per year, respectively.

Modified from an article orginally published to UMASS Amherst’s College of Education website.