Working Paper: NBER ID: w31847
Authors: Seth Gershenson; Constance A. Lindsay; Nicholas W. Papageorge; Romaine A. Campbell; Jessica H. Rendon
Abstract: Do white teachers learn racial competency from their Black peers? We answer this question using a mixed-methods approach. Longitudinal administrative data from North Carolina show that having a Black same-grade peer significantly improves the achievement and reduces the suspension rates of white teachers’ Black students. Open-ended interviews of North Carolina public school teachers reaffirm these findings. Broadly, our findings suggest that the positive impact of Black teachers’ ability to successfully teach Black students is not limited to their direct interaction with Black students but is augmented by spillover effects on early-career white teachers, likely through peer learning.
Keywords: spillover effects; racial competency; teacher effectiveness; peer learning
JEL Codes: I20; J24
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| having a black same-grade peer (I24) | improves the achievement of black students taught by novice white teachers (I24) |
| having a black same-grade peer (I24) | enhances the racial competency of white teachers (I24) |
| having a black same-grade peer (I24) | peer learning benefits for novice white teachers (I24) |
| having a black same-grade peer (I24) | no detectable effects on white teachers' effectiveness with white students (I24) |
| historical exposure to peers of color (I24) | significant benefits compared to contemporaneous exposures (J17) |