Cultivating an Equitable Music Teacher Pipeline: An Examination of Student-Teacher Demographic Matching Effects

• In Event: Policy, Teacher Preparation, and (In)Equity in Music Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine music student and teacher demographic matching effects on continued enrollment in music. Using data from KYSTATS, we analyzed linked administrative data from cohorts of students from sixth grade through the year following high school completion (N = 259,210) beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. Multilevel logistic regression results showed significant and positive effects for having a same-sex music teacher among female students, but no effect on male students. These sex-matching effects were slightly stronger in middle school years compared to high school years. Additionally, there was a small but statistically significant positive effect for race matching amongst all high school music students. Demographic matching was unrelated to postsecondary music studies.

Authors

• David S. Miller, University of Kentucky

• David Dockan, Louisiana State University