Critical Race Theory and QuantCrit

This chapter examines Critical Race Theory and QuantCrit. The chapter begins by briefly tracing the introduction of Critical Race Theory by legal scholars during the 1970s and 1980s. Core tenets of Critical Race Theory are presented, with specific focus on interest convergence and counter-storytelling. The emergence of QuantCrit during the early 2000s is then examined and its core tenets are described, including the centrality of racism and quantification, the critical evaluation of socially constructed categories, use of numbers for social justice, and the need to give voice to numbers. Particular attention is focused on the use of “race” as a variable in statistical analyses. The chapter ends by considering implications QuantCrit has for educational measurement.