Why Diversity Matters--The Research

This project is a culmination of county efforts since the 2017 Equity Report by Learn to Earn (L2ED) showed persistent disparities for Black and low-income students. After the report, districts engaged in data walks and equity labs analyses from 2018-20. Teachers, administrators, parents, and youth brainstormed regarding gaps related to race, gender, and low-income status when looking at school readiness, higher chronic absenteeism, greater out-of-school suspensions, 3rd-grade reading, 8th-grade math, high school graduation, and post-secondary attainment indicators (L2ED Annual Reports, 2018, 2019, 2020). 

Studies shows having diverse teachers matter. The presence of a Black teacher for Black elementary students showed positive gains.  A study including more than 100,000 students found sustained positive results. Stakeholders reviewed studies showing diverse recruitment lagged behind increases in student diversity and the loss of educators of color (45% increase from the 1980s-2012) interfered with gap-closing efforts (Ingersoll, Collins & May, 2017, 2018). Earlier, the desegregation efforts of the 1950s and 1960s had significantly reduced the ranks of Black teachers, who were not allowed to teach in integrated schools (Gladwell, 2016). 

The lack of teachers of color is the rationale for our Grow Your Own (GYO) student and paraprofessional pipelines, higher education partnerships, and collaborative recruitment efforts. Some diverse teachers report isolation, frustration, or fatigue, and the schools with the highest teacher turnover are high-poverty, high-diverse, urban or rural schools. These findings are the rationale for our mentoring, induction efforts, and learning communities that support culturally responsive teaching (Simon & Johnson, 2015; Ingersoll & May, 2012).  

Studies show teacher turnover is a significant issue and indicate promising results for mentoring, professional development, and induction strategies (Odell & Ferraro, 1992; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017).