The Effects of Student-Teacher Ethnoracial Matching on Exclusionary Student Discipline: Evidence From New York City

• In Event: Tackling Pressing School Choice and Gentrification Issues in Urban Schools

Abstract

Students of color are disproportionately more likely than White students to face exclusionary school discipline. One potential contributor to this inequity is these students’ lack of access to teachers who share their ethnoracial backgrounds; however, we know little about the effects of student-teacher ethnoracial matching on exclusionary discipline. This study uses ten years of data from New York City to explore the effects of student-teacher ethnoracial matching on exclusionary student discipline. Preliminary results suggest that Black students in New York City are significantly less likely to be suspended in years they are assigned a same-race teacher. These results suggest that diversifying the teacher workforce could help remedy inequities in exclusionary discipline that affect Black students.

Authors

• Matthew Shirrell, The George Washington University

• Travis J. Bristol, University of California - Berkeley