EFFECTS OF TEACHER DIVERSITY AND STUDENT-TEACHER RACIAL/ETHNIC MATCHING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ON EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

1 online resource (131 pages) : PDF

2013

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

This dissertation investigates the implications of student-teacher racial/ethnic matching on two educational outcomes. The fourth chapter investigates whether assignment to same-race teachers affects students' math and reading achievement growth in early elementary grades and whether the overall racial/ethnic composition of the teaching workforce in school moderates the relationship between matching and achievement growth. The fifth chapter investigates the relationship between student-teacher racial matching and students' placement in ability groups. The findings show that Black students experience marginal improvements in both math and reading achievement growth by third grade when they are placed with non-Black teachers. Hispanic students also experience marginal gains in reading achievement growth when placed with non-Hispanic teachers. White students' math and reading achievement growth, however, remain unaffected by their placement with White or non-White teachers. This study also finds evidence that the overall racial/ethnic composition of teachers in schools moderates the effect of assignment to same-race teachers on math and reading achievement growth for Hispanic students. Hispanic teachers are most effective educators for Hispanic students when these teachers also teach in schools where their representation ranges from anywhere between greater than zero and less than fifty percent. In Kanter's terminology, such a range represent schools where representation of minority teachers reflect anywhere from token to racially and ethnically balanced. Hispanic teachers are least effective educators for Hispanic students when these teachers work in schools that are either racially uniform (i.e. either all White teacher or all minority teacher schools) and schools where minority teachers constitute the majority of the teaching workforce. Findings in chapter five show that Hispanic students in kindergarten and first grade are more likely to be placed in higher ability groups when they are assigned to Hispanic teachers. The chapter also finds that placement in higher ability groups in first grade is a strong and positive predictor of placement in high ability groups in third grade for Hispanic students. These findings suggest that the benefits of racial and cultural matching depend on school contextual factors. There is need for more nuanced considerations when matching minority students with teachers from same race or ethnicity.

doctoral dissertations

Government policy
Teachers--Training of
Education and state

Ph.D.

Cross-Classified Growth Model
Racial and Ethnic Matching
Teacher Diversity

Public Policy

Moller, Stephanie

Godwin, Ken
Stearns, Elizabeth
Cao, Yang

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2013.

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