Research

PSV is committed to creating lasting improvement for Black students in private schools. As such, research-backed solutions that address student well-being is a priority. Well-being encompasses the social and emotional impact of being marginalized and the implications of low representation among students, administrators, faculty, and staff in these schools.

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One area of opportunity is in better capturing and sharing data focused on representation. There is currently no comprehensive national, aggregated data that includes tracking of Black senior administrators, Black teachers, and Black faculty and Black staff in private schools. Or rather, this data is not readily available and shared so that interested stakeholders can collectively work towards improvement.

PSV launched its first parent climate survey to better understand Black families’ experiences in private schools in 2020. PSV hopes to measure progress over time, identify collaborative possibilities in the areas of greatest need, and educate parents and caregivers about the best ways to support their children through the experience. Information being tracked includes the number of Black teachers a child has had, whether affinity spaces are offered, the number of Board of Trustees who are Black, how parents respond to microaggressions, and more. 

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Future surveys will ideally include similar inquiry lines for students to expand learnings about the social and emotional impact, as well as a track for schools to report race and ethnicity of the entire school community, including administrators, faculty, and staff so that this information can be used to develop specific tactics and strategies for improvement.