Is Teacher–Student and Student–Principal Racial/Ethnic Matching Related to Elementary School Grade Retention?

Abstract

This study uses data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, 2010–2011 to better understand the rates of grade retention during elementary school and the factors associated with this grade retention. Using matched student–teacher and student–principal data, I examine the student-, teacher-, and school-level factors associated with a student’s probability of being retained. I then apply within-student comparisons to examine the extent to which students with a teacher or principal of the same race/ethnicity had a lower probability of being retained. No evidence of a relationship is found between student–teacher and student–principal racial/ethnic matching and reduced grade retention for Black, Latinx, or White students.