Tracking Transitions Through Education: A Longitudinal Study

Racism is widely recognized as a social determinant of health in Canada and systemic racism persists in essential social institutions including healthcare, education and the labour market (Galabuzi 2012; 2016; Raphael, Bryant, Mikkonen & Raphael 2020). Racial discrimination infringes on human rights and dignity and contributes to social exclusion and negative health outcomes for racialized people, particularly those further marginalized due to class status, gender identity, sexuality, immigration status, disability, age and/or religion (Etowa & McGibbon 2012; Nestel 2012). Poorer health outcomes and lowered life expectancy further contribute to long-term socio-economic inequities for racialized families and communities, feeding into a vicious cycle. Everyday forms of discrimination, including systemic anti-Black racism, remain deeply entrenched in the policies and practices of our educational institutions. In a review of the schooling of Black students in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), James and Turner (2017) emphasized the need to collect disaggregated student data, to better address poor educational outcomes and unequal opportunities that persist for Black students. 

The UN has recognized trans and gender diverse students’ rights to equitable access to education; however, these students continue to face significant barriers throughout post-secondary studies (Jones 2017; McKendry & Lawrence 2020). Recent findings suggest the need for multidisciplinary research into barriers and supportive approaches to improve trans and gender diverse post-secondary student wellbeing (Jones 2017). There is also an urgent need to respond to increasing levels of transphobic discrimination, hostility and violence which have serious health consequences for trans and gender diverse young people (Lawrence & Mckendry 2019). Campus cultures and institutional practices and policies that fail to take trans and gender diverse students’ needs into account can inadvertently reproduce broader systems of transphobia, homophobia and misogyny. A recent survey of educators across Ontario (N=1194) found that awareness of and support for trans and gender diverse inclusion policies varied among educators and were implemented inconsistently, with the majority of respondents (75%) having received little to no training or professional development about transgender and gender diverse people. Too often the necessary equity work of advocating for institutional change to remove barriers and ensure necessary student supports are in place ends up on the shoulders of individual trans and gender diverse students and staff members (McKendry & Lawrence 2020).

Taking an intersectional approach to health and community wellbeing, this quantitative study will track longitudinal data on factors that hinder or facilitate successful transitions into and through post-secondary education for highly marginalized youth, specifically the diverse experiences of Black students as well as trans and gender diverse students. Underscoring international conventions on eliminating discrimination and Ontario Human Rights Code recommendations on tackling anti-Black racism in education (opens in new window) , data gathered will to contribute to building an evidence base towards the elimination of barriers and the reinforcement of protective supports, to ensure equitable access to quality post-secondary education as a social determinant of health. 

This seven year (2024 – 2030) longitudinal study will track the transitions of a cohort of young people from their final year of high school through an undergraduate degree and into the post-graduation labour market. Achieving a university education is often considered a marker of possibility in terms of upward social mobility. Recognizing universities have a role to play in the wellbeing of student bodies and a vested interest in retention and graduation rates, this study considers how universities fit into broader structures of collective wellbeing. A series of annual surveys will provide insight into student experiences, with questions focused on tangible barriers encountered throughout the educational journey and protective factors that contributed to student wellbeing. Partnering with graduation coaches from TDSB’s Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement (CEBSA), this study aims to collect long-term data that provides clear indicators of student success in order to make progressive policy changes to address anti-Black racism, transphobia and other intersecting forms of discrimination in university education.