STATE-LEVEL EDUCATION LEADERS’ ROLE IN DIVERSIFYING THE TEACHER PIPELINE - Research Paper Recommendations

Oct 15, 2026

Far too often, discussions on diversifying the teacher pipeline focus only on district and school leaders, while state-level policy changes remain underexplored. This paper examines how state education agency leaders can shape foundational policies that help local leaders attract, recruit, and retain a diverse teacher workforce. It reviews barriers and state agency roles, then delivers five policy recommendations for building and sustaining a racially diverse educator pipeline.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

State-level policy and the teacher pipeline

Evidence on same-race teachers and student outcomes

Equity goals and system transformation

Teachers of Color Choices in Teacher Preparation Programs

STATE-LEVEL EDUCATION LEADERS’ ROLE IN DIVERSIFYING THE TEACHER PIPELINE PHELTON C. MOSS American University, USA ABSTRACT Far too often, conversations about diversifying the teacher pipeline are left to district and school leaders. Conversely, too little conversation is grounded in the kinds of policy changes at the state level that are foundational to giving local and district leaders the tools to attract, recruit, and retain a diverse teacher workforce. This article aims to fill gaps in the literature concerning state-level leaders’ role in creating policy to build a diverse educator pipeline. If school and district leaders are going to diversify the teacher pipeline, state-level leaders will need to examine their current policies and practices to make sweeping, innovative policy changes that are critical to build a diverse pipeline of teachers. Recognizing the critical role state education agencies play in shaping policy to inform school and district leaders’ behavior, this paper provides recommendations for state education agencies to diversify the teacher pipeline. First, this paper highlights the literature around barriers to diversify the teacher pipeline. Second, this paper examines the role state education agency leaders play in diversifying the teacher pipeline. Finally, this paper provides five recommendations for state-level leaders to advance policies to grow the pipeline of diverse teachers. INTRODUCTION State education agency leaders serve as the policymakers for schools within their respective states. As such, state education agency leaders are postured to make dramatic changes to schools within their states. One such opportunity is diversifying the teacher workforce. A growing body of literature has pointed to the long-running impact of same-race teachers on several student outcomes. More specifically, Gershenson et al. (2018) found when Black students are randomly assigned to classrooms and have a Black teacher, the students are significantly more likely to complete highschool and aspire to enroll in college. Since the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision, Black students have seen fewer Black teachers in the classroom. Moreover, when schools are staffed with teachers of color, they are more likely to have the highest turnover rates (Evans & Leonard, 2018) . Though many states have made increases in their share of teachers of color, the percentage is disproportionately low in comparison to the percentage of students of color (Schaeffer, 2021) . As we consider practices and policy changes to increase access to strong and diverse teachers, state education agencies are positioned to strengthen the diversity of the educator workforce. A North Carolina study concluded that Black students who were assigned to a Black teacher at least once between 3rd and 5th grade were least likely to drop out of school and more likely to attend college. A similar study in Tennessee found that Black elementary students with a Black teacher experienced greater than a 3 to 6 percentile increase in performance as compared to Black students without a Black teacher (Gershenson et al., 2018) . If we want to support the dignity and success of students from all demographics, then we must ensure students of color have access to more teachers of color. Far too often, school district and school leaders cite a lack of access to diverse educators to explain why few school faculty match the diversity of the students they serve (Schaeffer, 2021) . More recently, school district and school leaders have launched calls for policymakers to enact new policies and practices to create more on Educational Planning | Spring 2022 27 Vol. 29, No. 2 and off-ramps for individuals to become teachers. These efforts are aimed at increasing the diversity of the educator workforce. To that end, state-level advocates and policymakers have a unique opportunity to create conditions to increase access to strong and diverse educators exponen

FAQs

Why does the paper emphasize state-level leadership in diversifying the teacher pipeline?

Because local and district leaders need policy tools grounded in state-level decisions. The paper argues state leaders shape foundational conditions for attracting, recruiting, and retaining a diverse teacher workforce.

What does the paper cite as evidence for the impact of same-race teachers on students?

It references findings that Black students assigned to classrooms with Black teachers are more likely to complete high school and aspire to college. It also notes higher performance gains for Black elementary students with Black teachers compared to those without.

What are the paper’s main recommendations for state education agencies?

It provides five high-leverage recommendations to advance state policies and practices. The recommendations target both structural/policy changes and the retention system needed to build a durable diverse teacher pipeline.

Oct 15, 2026

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