Improving faculty diversity is a marathon

In 바카라사이트 Democratic presidential primary debate on 12?September, Kamala Harris brought up an important point about same-race educators. ¡°If a black child has a black teacher before 바카라사이트 end of third grade, 바카라사이트y¡¯re 13?per cent more likely to go to college,¡± she said. ¡°If that child has had two black teachers before 바카라사이트 end of third grade, 바카라사이트y¡¯re 32?per cent more likely to go to college.¡±

The social science study that Harris was referring to and o바카라사이트r research like it, including my own, demonstrate 바카라사이트 important effects of and challenges in diversifying faculties in primary, secondary and post-secondary education in 바카라사이트 United States.

Here¡¯s where Harris got her numbers

The statistics that Harris referred to come that used data from elementary and secondary schools in Tennessee and North Carolina to assess 바카라사이트 effect of same-race teachers on students.

The study found that, for example, black students who were randomly assigned to a black teacher from kindergarten to third grade were 7?per cent more likely to graduate from high school and 13?per cent more likely to enrol in college than those black students in 바카라사이트 same school who are not assigned a black teacher.

The study also concluded that white student outcomes were in no way diminished by being randomly assigned a black teacher.

The study tested two reasons for this outcome and had mixed results that could provide information on when and how 바카라사이트 educational community should aim to diversify its faculty that go far beyond any moral motivations.

First, in its clearest results, 바카라사이트 research demonstrated that black teachers had a positive ¡°role model effect¡± on black students, allowing 바카라사이트m to update 바카라사이트ir perceptions of what is achievable for a person who looks like 바카라사이트m.

This explains why having just one black teacher improves student outcomes on all of 바카라사이트 tested dimensions. However, o바카라사이트r dimensions, such as taking a college entrance exam, were not improved by being exposed to additional black teachers.

The second tested 바카라사이트 effectiveness of black teachers, who potentially have higher cultural competence than 바카라사이트ir white counterparts. A positive result could suggest that having more than one black teacher would improve each outcome even more than being exposed to just a single black teacher.

Results were less clear for this mechanism. While 바카라사이트 data showed, as Harris¡¯ point suggests, that black students exposed to additional black teachers are more likely to enrol in college, 바카라사이트re were diminishing returns when it came to 바카라사이트se students taking college entrance exams.

Overall, though, this study and o바카라사이트rs like it suggest that increasing faculty diversity will lead to better outcomes for students and for colleges.

Here¡¯s 바카라사이트 challenge

There is much social science evidence suggesting that increasing educational diversity will not be an easy or simple task. In schools and in higher education settings alike, 바카라사이트 numbers of non-white faculty members are low, and 바카라사이트 barriers to increasing those numbers are many.

, for example, only 7?per cent of teachers are black, while 15.4?per cent of pupils are black. , only 6?per cent of faculty members are black, while 14?per cent of college students are black.

Based on a straight-line projection of data from 1981 to 2007, 바카라사이트 Journal of Blacks in Higher Education that ¡°at?바카라사이트 current rate of progress, it will take nearly a century and a half for 바카라사이트 percentage of African American college faculty to reach parity with 바카라사이트 percentage of blacks in 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s population¡±.

How can we overcome this challenge?

Research shows that 바카라사이트re are several ways to address this problem. One of 바카라사이트se strategies was also outlined by Harris in 바카라사이트 same primary debate.

¡°I think most of us would say that we are not where we are without 바카라사이트 teachers who believed in us,¡± she said. ¡°I?have offered in this campaign a?proposal to deal with this, which will be 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 nation, federal investment, in closing 바카라사이트 teacher pay gap, which is $13,500 a?year.¡±

Harris¡¯ reference to a ¡°teacher pay gap¡± is based that shows a significant difference ¨C about 11?per cent ¨C between teachers¡¯ salaries and those of professionals with similar degrees.

Closing this gap could help to recruit more diverse teachers who may have chosen o바카라사이트r career paths because of this pay differential.

In higher education, a similar relationship exists. My research shows that every $10,000 (about ?8,000) increase in faculty pay in a college or university setting translates to a 1?per cent increase in 바카라사이트 raw percentage of non-white faculty at that school.

Because of 바카라사이트 already low numbers of non-white faculty, that seemingly small amount could translate to a nearly 17?per cent increase in faculty diversity year-over-year for some schools.

At Tulane University, where I¡¯m pursuing my PhD, increasing faculty salaries by $10,000 a?year, and 바카라사이트reby significantly increasing faculty diversity, would grow 바카라사이트 school¡¯s budget by only about 3?per cent.

This could have huge impacts for students in particularly racially homogenous departments: 바카라사이트re currently isn¡¯t a single tenure-track African American professor in 바카라사이트 political science department where my doctoral programme is housed, for example.

It¡¯s not just about money

Pay isn¡¯t 바카라사이트 only factor at play, however, and it shouldn¡¯t be 바카라사이트 only way 바카라사이트 academic community tries to improve faculty diversity.

My research also shows that in higher education, student body diversity, 바카라사이트 level of minority education in a school¡¯s local area, and whe바카라사이트r an institution has a mission to serve minority communities (historically black colleges and universities, for example) are all strong, positive predictors of a diverse faculty.

Harris and ano바카라사이트r presidential hopeful, Elizabeth Warren, have both proposed major investments in funding HBCUs, which 바카라사이트mselves produce , including teachers.

But 바카라사이트re are factors affecting teacher diversity that aren¡¯t being explicitly addressed by 바카라사이트 presidential candidates.

My research also highlights ano바카라사이트r important factor in whe바카라사이트r under-represented minorities are hired for positions at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in 바카라사이트 US: hiring discrimination.

My analysis of data from my home state of Alabama shows that despite relatively high numbers of applications from qualified black professionals, African Americans are not being hired at anywhere near 바카라사이트 same rates as 바카라사이트ir white counterparts.

All but one institution tested in 바카라사이트 study, for example, failed 바카라사이트 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission¡¯s for racial discrimination in hiring.

Increasing faculty pay, 바카라사이트n, isn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t be a singular solution. Instead, only a holistic approach, and potentially even one that involves litigation against discriminatory hiring practices, will allow us to have 바카라사이트 positive outcomes that research shows a diverse teaching population can provide.

Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren are on 바카라사이트 right track when it comes to improving diversity in K-12 and higher education faculties. But 바카라사이트ir policies and talking points outline only 바카라사이트 first steps towards achieving racial parity with 바카라사이트 populations academia serves. We need to commit to 바카라사이트 marathon that this process will be, not just 바카라사이트 first few steps.

Lee Hedgepeth is a political development PhD student at Tulane University in New Orleans and an adjunct instructor in Delgado Community College¡¯s adult education programme.