Student-Teacher Ethno-Racial Matching and Reading Ability Group Placement in Early Grades

SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://sagepub.com

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28

Teacher Student Relationship; Reading Instruction; Ethnic Groups; School Districts; Student Placement; Correlation; Reading Ability; Kindergarten; Grade 1; Elementary School Students; Elementary School Teachers; Hispanic American Students; Teacher Attitudes; Student Behavior; Cultural Awareness; Cognitive Style; Teacher Characteristics; Minority Group Teachers

10.1177/0013124517721948

0013-1245

This article investigates the relationship between student-teacher ethno-racial matching and students' placement in reading ability groups in kindergarten and first grades in the United States. Multilevel regression analysis of a nationally representative sample of students shows that Latino/a first graders are more likely to be placed in higher ability groups when assigned to Latino/a teachers. Furthermore, teachers' perception of students' learning behavior, a variable that has been linked to teacher-student racial congruence in the literature, has a strong positive effect on ability group placement in kindergarten and first grades. These findings have implications for minority teacher recruitment policies in school districts.

As Provided

71

2019

EJ1204312