Transcript How does the racial/ethnic background of teachers affect minority

How does the racial/ethnic
background of teachers affect
minority students’ achievement?
Why is it necessary to diversify
the teaching workforce?
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Teacher homogeneity and the
racial achievement gap:
 In 2008 43% 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.
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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.
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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:
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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.