Teacher Gender, Student Learning, and School Level

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 33
  In Roundtable Session: Gender in the Classroom

Abstract

U.S. girls outpace boys in educational outcomes, including grades, college enrollment, and educational attainment. The female advantage begins early: girls received higher social and behavioral ratings even in kindergarten. Meanwhile, women are overrepresented in K-12 teaching force. To what extent do teacher gender play a role in student development? We use seven years of data on both elementary and middle school students from the Indiana Department of Education to test whether the effects of having a same gender teacher vary across school levels. We find that placement with women math middle school teachers uniquely benefit girls, but boys benefit more than girls do from having women elementary school teachers in math and ELA.

Authors

• NaYoung Hwang, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Brian Fitzpatrick