The Availability of Black and Hispanic Teachers in HISD Schools Shapes Black and Hispanic Students' Academic and Behavioral Outcomes. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District [Brief 3]

This study analyzes how the availability of Black and Hispanic teachers within schools in the Houston Independent School District is related to Hispanic and Black students' academic and behavioral outcomes during the 2018--19 and 2019--20 school years. The analyses found that Hispanic and Black students' test scores, attendance and discipline referrals are shaped by the demographics of their fellow students and faculty. Specifically, Hispanic students attending schools where the majority of both teachers and students were also Hispanic had higher test scores, lower absenteeism and lower disciplinary referrals. In contrast, the opposite was found to be the case for Black students: When they attended schools with lower proportions of Black students and teachers, these students tended to have better reading scores, less absenteeism and fewer disciplinary referrals. These results may be due to systemic disadvantages facing some schools in predominantly Black communities. [For the second brief, "Campus Teacher Characteristics and Outcomes for Black and Hispanic Students. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District," see ED630801.]