*A new study finds that black students who have black teachers are more likely to succeed academically.
The study, published by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, found that students who have at least one black teacher in grades 3 through 5 were less likely to drop out of school.
“We show that by 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,” a synopsis of the study reads. “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.”
Researchers found no affect on black female student dropout decisions, perhaps due to significantly higher graduation rates among the gender. The study also noted that assignment to three black teachers has a greater impact on educational attainment than assignment to a single black teacher. But researchers say the differences tend to be small in magnitude.
“The lack of strong dosage effects suggests an important policy implication: the number of black teachers need not be dramatically increased to close racial gaps in educational attainment,” the report said. “Rather, our results suggest that efforts to match black students with at least one black teacher in primary school could begin immediately, by thoughtfully matching students to current teachers.”
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