When Teachers Look Like Me: Hispanic/latino Teacher-student Race/ethnicity Matching and Its Effect on Chronic Absenteeism, Student Engagement, and Outcomes
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis evaluates the relationship between Hispanic/Latino teacher representation, specifically with student-teacher race/ethnicity matching and student outcomes in K-12 education. As the Hispanic/Latino student population continues to grow rapidly across the United States, there remains a persistent underrepresentation of Hispanic/Latino teachers nationwide, which leads to significant representation and achievement gaps. Through a comprehensive literature review, analyzing data from Hispanic/Latino-dense school districts across the United States and qualitative literature, this thesis investigates how teacher-student racial/ethnic matching affects attendance patterns, socioemotional and academic outcomes, and much more. Findings reveal that Hispanic/Latino students in classrooms with same race/ethnicity teachers demonstrate lower rates of chronic absenteeism, with the positive effect having more of an emphasis in high school grades (11th and 12th) and during morning classes. This research highlights the urgent need for targeted initiatives and policies to increase Hispanic/Latino teacher recruitment and retention, mostly in districts with high Hispanic/Latino student populations.
DOI: 10.17615/4pzg-je45
Author: Sorto, Bryan
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6944142956
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