The State of Teacher Diversity

• In Event: Dismantling Racial Inequities in Teaching: How to Transform Policy Around Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Abstract

Objectives and Perspectives

Despite efforts to build a more racially and ethnically diverse teacher workforce, the share of teachers of color nationally has stalled in recent years. Even with more new teachers of color entering the profession each year, since 2017, only 20% of the teacher workforce is Black, Latina/o (Hispanic of any race), Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Native American/Alaska Native, or two or more races. This trend highlights the critical role of not just recruiting but also retaining more teachers of color, which is important for boosting the diversity and quality of the teacher workforce overall.

Prior research demonstrates the importance of continuing to diversify the teacher workforce (Authors, 2023; Bristol & Martin-Fernandez, 2019; Dee, 2004; Egalite et al., 2015; Gershenson, et al., 2022). Studies show that Black teachers, in particular, have profound benefits on all students and especially Black students. Emerging research also suggests that Latino/a teachers improve student achievement outcomes for certain students. Importantly, all students can benefit from having diverse role models. In this study, we establish that retention is critical for increasing teacher diversity and share a range of factors that may matter for retaining teachers.

Data and Methods

This study uses descriptive and regression methods to analyze the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) 2017-18 and 2020-21 and Title II data from 2008-09 to 2020-21. The study investigates the experiences of public school teachers and how such experiences differ by race. We present findings around teachers’ pre-service preparation, routes into teaching, early-career supports, outstanding student loans, salary, and teaching conditions. We present our findings for teachers of color as a group, as well as for each of the subgroups where possible. We also examine the relationship between various teacher experiences and whether teachers of color express a desire to transfer schools or leave the teaching profession, controlling for teacher and school characteristics.

Findings and Significance

We find that teachers of color are more likely than white teachers to consider transferring schools or leaving the teaching profession. These attitudes are associated with access to preservice teacher preparation, compensation, teacher evaluations, access to mentoring, and teaching conditions in schools. Ultimately, the study reveals that these conditions matter for all teachers, but teachers of color are on average less likely to have access to the conditions associated with longevity in the profession. For example, teachers of color were less likely to report receiving accurate evaluation results, which are associated with a lower likelihood of desires to leave teaching.

Our study also describes policies that can productively diversity the teacher workforce. Our recommendations include focusing on providing teachers of color with access to supports and conditions known to influence teacher retention but that are less available to them. Based on our findings, we argue that increasing access to comprehensive teacher preparation, competitive compensation, positive teaching conditions, and supporting every teacher to be culturally responsive and affirming would help keep teachers of color in the classroom.

Authors

• Desiree Carver-Thomas, Learning Policy Institute

• Emma García, Learning Policy Institute

• Melanie Leung-Gagné, Learning Policy Institute