DOES RACE MATTER? A FIXED EFFECTS ANALYSIS

Abstract

Using data from a nationally representative longitudinal study of 8th graders in the United States, I utilize the within-student identification strategy to measure the effect of having a same-race teacher on a student’s academic achievement. My main regression employs data from 1988 implement the within-student approach across subjects, while my robustness check uses data from 1988 and 1990 to implement this strategy across time. I find no evidence of academic benefits when students are assigned a teacher of their own race, regardless of subject or student race.