ETHNIC/RACIAL COMPOSITION OF TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS: A MULTI-YEAR DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS
Abstract
Purpose
The overall purpose of this journal-ready dissertation was to describe the
racial/ethnic demographic characteristics of students and teachers in Texas public
schools. The first specific purpose was to describe the ethnic/racial demographic
characteristics of students and teachers in Texas elementary public schools for the 2010-
2011 through the 2018-2019 school years. A second purpose was to determine the
ethnic/racial demographic characteristics of students and teachers in Texas public middle
schools for the 2010-2011 through the 2018-2019 school years. A third purpose was to
identify the ethnic/racial demographic characteristics of students and teachers in Texas
public high schools for the 2010-2011 through the 2018-2019 school years. A final
purpose was to identify the degree to which trends might be present in the ethnic/racial
membership of students and teachers in Texas public elementary, middle, and high
schools over a 9-year time period.
Method
For this analysis, a longitudinal descriptive research design was utilized. Archival
data, from the Texas Education Agency, were acquired for Texas public elementary,
middle, and high schools for the 2010-2011 school year through the 2018-2019 school
year. Participants were teachers and students in Texas public elementary, middle, and
high schools.
v
Findings
The ethnic/racial composition of Texas public school teachers and students over
the span of 9 school years (i.e., the 2010-2011 school year through the 2018-2019 school
year) varied. The percentages of White teachers and White students declined over this
time period. Even with declining percentages, however, White teachers had the highest
percentage of the four major ethnic/racial teacher groups. The percentages of Hispanic
teachers and Hispanic students increased over the 9 school years. A sizeable gap
remains, however, between the higher percentages of Hispanic students and the lower
percentages of Hispanic teachers. The percentages of Black teachers and of Black
students remained relatively consistent over the 9 school years. Similar results were
established for Asian teachers and for Asian students. Substantive differences were
present between the ethnic/racial diversity of teachers and of students. As such, more
efforts to increase teacher diversity are warranted.