The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers

The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers

Black primary-school students matched to a same-race teacher perform better on standardized tests and face more favorable teacher perceptions, yet little is known about the long-run, sustained impacts of student-teacher demographic match. We show that assigning a black male to a black teacher in the third, fourth, or fifth grades significantly reduces the probability that he drops out of high school, particularly among the most economically disadvantaged black males. Exposure to at least one black teacher in grades 3-5 also increases the likelihood that persistently low-income students of both sexes aspire to attend a four-year college.

Suggested Citation

Gershenson, Seth, et al. The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers. Mar. 2017, http://ftp.iza.org/dp10630.pdf