How does the racial/ethnic background of teachers affect minority students’ achievement? Why is it necessary to diversify the teaching workforce?

Teacher homogeneity and the racial achievement gap:  In % of students in public schools were of color, while 90% of teachers were White.  Black and Hispanic students achieve lower test scores than their White and Asian peers, across all economic levels.

Brown vs. the Board of Education - impact on Black population  Significant decline of Black teachers.  Significant decline of Black students’ achievement levels  Lack of Black teachers affects how students view and envision the possibilities for their own lives.

Positive impact of shared backgrounds:  Higher expectations of minority students from teachers of same race.  Better understanding of students’ learning styles, behaviors.  Positive role-models.  Better communication with students’ family/community.

Positive role models:  Stereotypes are internalized by minority students, which affects their academic achievement.  Students need to see people who share their backgrounds in positions of power to better visualize their own life possibilities.  Teachers of color combat negative stereotype affects by their presence and influence in the educational world.

Cultural understanding:  Teachers act as cultural translators/mediators.  Teachers of color can transition monocultural students to become multicultural learners.  Less likely to misconstrue normal language barriers/behaviors as disabilities.

Teacher’s perceptions of student ability:  White teachers’ beliefs of their ability to teach students varies depending on students’ racial/ethnic backgrounds.  Teachers of color have higher expectations for students who share their race/ethnicity.

Students’ perceptions of teacher bias:  Minority students perceive that White teachers are biased.  Negative perceptions increase drop-out rate of Mexican-American students.  Minority students’ perceptions are not unfounded.  Students level of achievement is related to messages received from teachers.

Oregon: Oregon statistics:

Overrepresentation of minority students in special education:  Level of English language ability is often confused with learning disability.  White teachers’ lack of cultural/behavioral understanding often constitutes more minority students being placed in SPED.  Huge overrepresentation of Black students in SPED

Need to diversify the teaching workforce!  Including people of color in teaching workforce benefits all students regardless of race.  White students gain insights from diverse perspectives  Minority students gain self-efficacy, positive sense of personal possibilities, belief in their ability to achieve.