An Assessment of the Correlation Between Teacher- Student Racial Congruence and Student Mathematics Performance in Black, Hispanic, and White Teachers and Students

Abstract

Previous research has well demonstrated that there is a statistically significant gap between the academic performance of Black and Hispanic students and the academic performance of White students. However, the factors contributing to this phenomenonvare not clearly defined. By analyzing data from the Department of Education’s National High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, this study determines if teacher-student racial/ethnic congruence is associated with a student’s mathematics performance for Black, Hispanic, and White students and teachers. After initial calculations suggested differences in standardized mathematics performance among student groups based on the race/ethnicity of the student’s math teacher, several linear regressions that controlled for sex, income, and guardian education level revealed the statistical insignificance of these relationships. Although this study shows that teacher-student racial/ethnic congruence is not associated with the present academic performance disparities in American society, further research is warranted as to what factors are and are not associated with this observed phenomenon.