Teachers of color produce positive academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for all students, especially students of color, who have long been disadvantaged by our nation’s schools. Yet many students never have a single teacher of color. That needs to change.
The Benefits of a More Diverse Teacher Workforce
Teachers of color positively impact all students,1 especially students of color. The benefits of having a same-race teacher for a student of color cut across a number of educational factors: academic outcomes, like improved reading and math scores;2 and nonacademic factors, such as improved attendance,3 a greater sense of belonging,4 and lower rates of discipline.5
While efforts to diversify the teacher workforce have resulted in real progress, the gains have not kept pace with rapidly diversifying adult and student populations. Understanding state and national demographic trends, state policies impacting teacher diversity, and the contributions of teacher preparation programs to the diversity of their state’s teacher workforce are key to building a stronger and more diverse teacher pipeline.
Latest Findings
A New Roadmap for Strengthening Teacher Diversity
Even as historically disadvantaged racial groups earn college degrees at higher rates than in the past, the teacher workforce has not kept pace with this increase. Explore how to set the right benchmarks for your state and consider possible policy solutions.
Data suggests that Black and brown adults who earn college degrees are either choosing other professions or electing to leave the classroom after becoming teachers.
How Licensure Test Pass Rates Impact Teacher Diversity
Students benefit from a diverse, well-prepared teacher workforce. How can states set licensure test policies to better support a more diverse workforce?
How do aspiring teachers of color fare on your state’s licensure tests?
How some states use licensure test pass rate data to build a stronger, more diverse teacher workforce
Hannah Putman
September 29, 2022
These licensure tests serve as guardrails, verifying that aspiring teachers have a foundation in the knowledge they'll be expected to teach, and the data also serves as a window into the preparation that aspiring teachers receive.
Increasing teacher diversity: Four ways districts can take action
Hannah Putman
October 12, 2023
This District Trendline will examine four opportunities for districts to increase the diversity of their teacher workforce, with examples from states and districts across the country.
Data Brief: How do trends in teacher preparation enrollment and completion vary by state?
Patricia Saenz-Armstrong
August 23, 2023
The number of college students preparing to become teachers is viewed as an indicator not only of the future supply of teachers in the nation, but also of the desirability of the teaching profession.
We wouldn’t lower standards for pilot licenses—so why teachers?
Heather Peske
July 28, 2022
No one says, "We need to get more pilots into planes quickly, so let's get rid of licensure requirements for pilots!" Teaching is no different. The lives of our children hang in the balance.
Building a school climate that makes teachers want to stay
Abigail Swisher
April 14, 2022
With teacher morale low and burnout high, education leaders at every level are asking: How can we improve teachers' experience at work? Moreover, how can we make sure they stay?
Four states working to close the teacher diversity gap
Abigail Swisher
February 24, 2022
What legislative actions did states take to close the teacher diversity gap? We report here on select trends from four states that span the teacher pipeline, as early as middle school through to the classroom.
Blazar, D. (2021). Teachers of color, culturally responsive teaching, and student outcomes: Experimental evidence from the random assignment of teachers to classes. EdWorkingPaper No. 21-501. Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.
Egalite, A., Kisida, B., & Winters, M. (2015). Representation in the classroom: The effect of own-race teachers on student achievement. Economics on Education Review, 45, 44–52; Goldhaber, D., & Hansen, M. (2010). Race, gender and teacher testing: How informative a tool is teacher licensure testing and how does it impact student achievement? American Educational Research Journal, 47(1), 218–51; Dee, T. S. (2004). Teachers, race, and student achievement in a randomized experiment. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 86(1), 195-210; Lindsay, C., Monarrez, T., & Luetmer, G. (2021). The effects of teacher diversity on Hispanic student achievement in Texas. Urban Institute. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/105325/the-effects-of-teacher-diversity-on-hispanic-student-achievement-in-texas_0_0.pdf
Holt, S., & Gershenson, S. (2015). The impact of teacher demographic representation on student attendance and suspensions. IZA Discussion Paper, No 9554; Blazar, D. (2021). Teachers of color, culturally responsive teaching, and student outcomes: Experimental evidence from the random assignment of teachers to classes. EdWorkingPaper: 21-501. Annenberg Institute at Brown University; Gottfried, M., Kirksey, J. J., & Fletcher, T. L. (2022). Do high school students with a same-race teacher attend class more often? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 44(1), 149–169.
Gist, C. D., & Bristol, T. J. (Eds.). (2022). Handbook of research on teachers of color and indigenous teachers. American Educational Research Association.
