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.