UROP Project
State Policies Addressing Hate, Discrimination, and Bias in U.S. Schools
Hate Crime; Discrimination; School Policy; K–12 Education; Bullying
Research Mentor: Sylwia Piatkowska, Dr.
Department, College, Affiliation: Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Contact Email: spiatkowska@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Contact Email: spiatkowska@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 6
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors; students in Criminology, Sociology, Political Science, Education, Public Policy, and related fields are especially encouraged to apply.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 6
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors; students in Criminology, Sociology, Political Science, Education, Public Policy, and related fields are especially encouraged to apply.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 1:00
End Time: 2:00
Zoom Link: Invite Link https://fsu.zoom.us/j/91823215312
Project Description
Hate, discrimination, harassment, and bias-motivated victimization remain important concerns in K–12 schools across the United States. Although federal protections establish a broad legal framework for addressing discrimination, states vary considerably in the policies and legislation they have adopted to prevent and respond to hate, discrimination, bullying, harassment, and other forms of bias in educational settings. These differences may shape how schools respond to incidents of bias and, ultimately, students' experiences within schools.This project examines variation in state-level policies addressing discrimination, hate crime, bias-motivated behavior, bullying, and harassment in K–12 educational settings across the United States. The project will systematically identify, verify, and code relevant state laws and policies, including information about protected groups, prohibited conduct, reporting requirements, prevention efforts, training requirements, disciplinary responses, and other provisions intended to address discrimination and bias in schools.
The resulting policy measures will contribute to a broader research project examining bias-motivated victimization and observed hate in U.S. K–12 schools. Ultimately, these data will help us better understand whether and how differences in state legal and policy environments are associated with students' experiences of bias, harassment, bullying, and observed hate at school.
Research Tasks: Research assistants will participate in the systematic collection, verification, and coding of state-level policies and legislation related to discrimination, hate crime, bias-motivated behavior, bullying, and harassment in K–12 educational settings.
Specific responsibilities will include:
Searching state legislative websites, state departments of education, and other official governmental sources for relevant laws and policies.
Reviewing existing policy information and verifying its accuracy using primary sources.
Determining whether identified laws and policies remain in effect and identifying amendments, replacements, or other changes.
Searching for additional relevant policies and legislation.
Coding policy characteristics using an established coding protocol.
Recording and organizing sources and policy documentation.
Participating in regular research-team meetings to discuss coding decisions, inconsistencies, and difficult cases.
Assisting with data quality checks and validation.
Contributing to the interpretation and presentation of the collected information for the Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Strong attention to detail; reliability and ability to meet deadlines; good organizational skills; ability to carefully read and interpret written materials; willingness to learn and follow a systematic research and coding protocol.
Recommended but not required: Interest in criminology, sociology, education, law, public policy, inequality, hate crime, or discrimination; familiarity with Microsoft Excel; prior research experience or experience locating information from governmental or legal sources.
No prior experience with policy research is required. Research assistants will receive training in locating, evaluating, and systematically coding policy information.
Mentoring Philosophy
My approach to mentoring undergraduate researchers emphasizes learning through active participation in the research process. I view undergraduate research as an opportunity for students not only to complete specific research tasks, but also to understand how those tasks contribute to larger theoretical and empirical questions.Research assistants will receive clear guidance and training at the beginning of the project, followed by regular opportunities to discuss questions, challenges, and research decisions. As students gain experience, I encourage them to work more independently, critically evaluate the information they encounter, and take increasing ownership of their work. I also encourage students to ask questions and view uncertainty and mistakes as part of the research and learning process.