Dr. Keena Arbuthnot received a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, specializing in Psychometrics/Educational Measurement,
Applied Statistics, and Program Evaluation. She holds an MEd in Educational Psychology
and a BS in Mathematics. In 2005, Dr. Arbuthnot became a Lecturer on Education and
a Post-doctoral Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is currently the
Special Advisor to the President and the Joan Pender McManus Distinguished Professor
of Education at Louisiana State University.
Dr. Arbuthnot conducts research in the field of education and testing. She has published
many articles, has authored two books: Filling in the Blanks: Understanding the Black-White
Achievement Gap and Global Perspective on Educational Testing: Examining Fairness,
High-Stakes, and Policy Reform. She is recognized nationally and internationally for
her research on standardized testing and assessments, test fairness issues, and STEM
education and achievement. Dr. Arbuthnot started her career as a high school mathematics
teacher and acknowledges that her experiences in the classroom still has a significant
impact on her research and teaching.
Arbuthnot, K. (2017). Global Perspectives on Educational Testing: Examining High Stakes, Fairness
and Policy Reform.
Arbuthnot, K. (June, 2011). Filling in the blanks: Understanding the Black/White Achievement Gap.
Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC.
Arbuthnot, K. (In Press). Racial Identity and Standardized Testing. In J. Sullivan & A. Esmail
(Eds.), African American Racial Identity: An interdisciplinary exploration of the
racial and cultural experiences of the Black experience. Lexington Books.
Arbuthnot, K. (2009). The effects of stereotype threat on standardized mathematics test performance
and cognitive processing. Harvard Educational Review.
Sullivan, J.M., & Arbuthnot, K. (2009). The effects of Black identity on candidate evaluation: An exploratory study.
Journal of Black Studies.
Gilbert, J.E., Eugene, W., Arbuthnot, K., Hood, S., & West, M.L. (2009). Culturally relevant game design: A case study for
designing interactive algebra lessons for urban youth. I-manager’s Journal of Educational
Technology, 5(3) pp. 54-60.
Ryan, K. E., Ryan, A., Arbuthnot, K., & Samuels, M. (2007) The role of motivation in mathematics examination performance.
Educational Researcher.
Arbuthnot, K. (2011, July). The role of standardized testing in the college rankings system. Paper
presentation at Oxford University, Oxford, England.
Arbuthnot, K. (2011, March). Standardized Testing and Student Achievement. Presentation at Alcorn
State University, Alcorn, Mississippi.
Arbuthnot, K. (2011, April). Filling in the Blanks: Understanding standardized testing and the
Black-White achievement gap. Book presentation at the Louisiana State University College
of Education, Baton Rouge, LA.
Arbuthnot, K. (2009, December). Testing Strategies: Helping all students succeed on standardized
tests. Kenilworth Middle School.
Arbuthnot, K. (2006, December). Threats to test fairness. Roundtable discussion and paper presentation
at Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA.
Arbuthnot, K. (2006, April). The effects of stereotype threat on the strategy choices of black
students on a mathematics assessment. Paper presentation at the annual American Educational
Research Association, San Francisco.
Ryan, K. E., Ryan, A., Arbuthnot, K., & Samuels, M. (2005, April). Students' motivation for standardized math exams: Insights
from students (AERA Program Session). Panelist for invited paper presentation at the
Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.
Arbuthnot, K., & Ryan, K. E. (2005, April). Exploring sources of differential item functioning
between Black and White test-takers on a mathematics achievement test using McDonald’s
methodology. Paper presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, Montreal, Canada.
Principal Investigator, Louisiana State University
Project Title: Utilizing Standardized Tests Results to Facilitate Change and Opportunity
in Louisiana Classrooms.
