Educator Diversity State Profile: Masschusetts
Massachusetts Demographic Data (2019-20)
Student Data Source: state website source: profiles.doe.mass.edu
Teacher Data Source: state website source: profiles.doe.mass.edu
Race/ethnicity | Students | Teachers | Paraprofessionals |
Asian | 7.1% | 1.6% | 1.7% |
Black | 9.2% | 3% | 6.4% |
Latino | 22% | 3.3% | 7.1% |
Multiracial | 3.9% | 0.5% | 1% |
American Indian/ Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0% | 0.1% |
White | 58% | 92% | 84% |
Total Percentage of People of Color | 35% | 6.9% | 16% |
Schools With No Teachers of Color | 38% |
Percentage of All Students in Schools with No Teachers of Color | 29% |
To examine whether students have access to diverse teachers in their schools, we analyzed school-level data on teacher and student race and ethnicity. The following describes state-level findings regarding students’ access to teachers of color and same-race teachers as well as the prevalence of teachers teaching in schools with no other same-race colleagues.
State Teacher Diversity Data | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | American Indian/ Alaska Native | Native Haw./ Pac. Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | 26% | 11% | 13% | 29% | * | * | 38% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | 39% | 26% | 21% | 74% | * | * | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | 20% | 46% | 45% | 1.6% | * | * | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | 24% | 10% | 13% | 55% | 89% | 100% | 0% |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
District Teacher Diversity Data
Access to diverse teachers can vary widely across districts within a state – statewide averages can mask those differences. The following describes the same data points on access to diverse teachers as presented above in some of the largest districts in the state.
BOSTON
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | * | * | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | 6.8% | 0.1% | 1.8% | 82% | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | 83% | 99% | 87% | 0.8% | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | 10% | 0.5% | 2.7% | 73% | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 43 | 627 | 318 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 392.7 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
BROCKTON
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | * | 3% | 2.7% | 2.6% | * | * | 6.8% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | * | 5.7% | 41% | 41% | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | * | 63% | 23% | 9.6% | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | 27% | 6.5% | 17% | 27% | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 4 | 128.1 | 33.7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 286.7 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
CHELSEA
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | * | 0% | 0% | * | * | * | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | # | # | 0% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | # | # | 80% | # | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | # | # | 6.1% | # | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 0 | 2 | 65 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 50 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
FALL RIVER
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | 20% | 25% | 23% | 30% | * | * | 29% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | # | # | 51% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | # | # | 19% | # | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | # | # | 11% | # | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 3 | 8 | 15.4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 228.9 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
HOLYOKE
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | * | 0% | 0% | * | * | * | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | # | 29% | 0% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | # | 39% | 94% | # | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | # | 10% | 3.3% | # | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 1 | 7 | 110.5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 65.5 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
LAWRENCE
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | * | * | 0% | * | * | * | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | # | * | 6.1% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | # | * | 70% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | # | 20% | 3.5% | # | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 1 | 3 | 139.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 160.5 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
SPRINGFIELD
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | * | 2.5% | 1.9% | * | * | * | 2.6% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | * | 15% | 2.9% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | * | 62% | 72% | # | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | 39% | 8.5% | 8.5% | # | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 5 | 174 | 230 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 290.8 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
WORCESTER
Student Experience by Race/Ethnicity | |||||||
Asian | Black | Latino | Multiracial | Native | Pacific Islander | White | |
Percent of students attending schools with no teachers of color | 8.9% | 13% | 9.2% | 12% | * | * | 13% |
Percent of students attending schools with no same-race teachers | 60% | 29% | 20% | # | # | # | 0% |
Percent of students attending schools with >5% same-race teachers | 13% | 26% | 52% | # | # | # | 100% |
Percent of teachers working in schools with no other same-race teacher | 33% | 29% | 8.3% | # | # | # | 0% |
Number of paraprofessionals (FTEs) | 5 | 35 | 117 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 486 |
*Less than 3% students # Fewer than 10 teachers |
Policy Scan
To increase the racial diversity of the educator workforce, states must create the right policy conditions to support educator preparation programs, districts, and schools in their efforts to prepare, recruit, and retain teachers of color.
The following describes the state’s progress toward creating those policy conditions:
RATING SCALE
Goals
- Make educator diversity data visible and actionable to stakeholders
- Set clear goals at the state and district level to increase student access to strong and diverse educators
- Support preparation programs to recruit and prepare teachers of color
- Target resources to intentionally recruit and hire a diverse teaching workforce
- Improve working conditions and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth for teachers of color
partially meets criteria
GOAL 1: Make Educator Diversity Visible and ActionableFor states to make progress toward increasing the racial diversity of the educator workforce, all stakeholders must have access to useful and timely educator workforce data to set goals and chart a path forward. As keepers of state data systems, state education agencies are best positioned to collect and share these data. The data should be publicly available and easily accessible so stakeholders can make targeted, strategic workforce decisions at the school, district, and state level. For data to be meaningful, states must: |
Massachusetts posts school-level data on the racial demographics of the educator workforce on the state website. source: profiles.doe.mass.edu
The state earned a green and is rated as a best practice in this category for their data dashboard. source: profiles.doe.mass.edu
Massachusetts posts program-level data on the racial makeup of candidates entering in-state teacher preparation programs on the state website. source: profiles.doe.mass.edu
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category. For another example of a state that earned a green, see North Carolina’s report cards. source: dpi.nc.gov
Massachusetts does not include any information about the racial makeup of candidates that complete in-state teacher preparation programs on the state website.
The state should include a racial breakdown of the candidates that complete the program at each in-state teacher preparation program on their state education agency website either through a dashboard, or on individual educator preparation program report cards to provide key information to stakeholders. For an example, see Tennessee’s publicly available dashboard of the number of racially diverse candidate completers at each educator preparation program. source: tn.gov
meets criteria
GOAL 2: Set clear goals at the state and district level to increase student access to strong and diverse educatorsIn order to create actionable goals to increase the racial diversity of the educator workforce, states must:: |
Massachusetts publicly set a goal to increase the racial diversity of the workforce and set goals through CCSSO’s Diverse and Learner Ready Teachers Initiative, but the goal is not stated on their state education agency website. source: usnews.com
The state should create a clear, numeric goal that is measurable and limited in time and make it publicly available. For an example, see Arkansas’ goal to increase the number of minority teachers in public schools by 25% in 2025. source: dese.ade.arkansas.gov
Massachusetts works with the The Racial Imbalance Advisory Council (RIAC) which advises the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on matters pertinent to the development and maintenance of school desegregation/integration in public schools within the Commonwealth. The group is comprised of multiple stakeholders, including teachers, parents, school and district leaders, and community members. The group has reviewed and provided feedback on the state’s goals and strategies to increase the racial diversity of the workforce.
Therefore, Massachusetts earned a green in this category.
Massachusetts provides funding and guidance to districts and preparation programs to set goals and invest in strategies to increase the racial diversity of the workforce, including a $1.7 million competitive grant award to districts to support local efforts to diversify teacher recruitment and retention programs. source: doe.mass.edu
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category. For another example of a state that earned a green, see New Jersey’s Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline Competitive Grant Program for educator preparation programs to expand and develop plans to recruit and prepare more educators of color to meet the needs of partnering district or local education agency. source: nj.gov
Massachusetts has a state lead of the Diverse and Learner Ready Teachers Initiative to carry on state’s goals to increase the racial diversity of the workforce.
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category. For another example of a state that earned a green, see Ohio’s Diversifying the Education Profession in Ohio Taskforce brief from fall 2018. source: education.ohio.gov
partially meets criteria
GOAL 3: Support preparation programs to recruit and prepare teachers of colorStates must invest in multiple inputs toward building an educator pipeline to increase the racial diversity of the workforce, starting with the preparation of educators of color. The state must create opportunities for educators of color to enroll and succeed in preparation programs and limit unnecessary barriers to the profession. In order to support the preparation of teachers of color, the state must: |
Massachusetts does not invest in scholarships and/or loan forgivness programs to attract students of color into teacher preparation programs.
The state should invest in scholarships and/or loan forgiveness programs that target students of color. For an example, see Florida’s Minority Teacher Education Scholars Program. source: ffmt.org
Massachusetts requires programs to show evidence of systems to recruit and admit candidates that result in the increased racial and ethnic diversity of completers in the workforce. source: doe.mass.edu
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category. For another example of a state that earned a green, see Alabama’s program approval standards. source: alsde.edu
At its October 2020 meeting, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to amend current licensure regulation. The amendment authorized department staff to pilot alternative assessments to the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) for educator licensure. The amendment created opportunities to pilot and learn from alternative assessments for licensure that will promote equitable access for qualified educators to earn an educator license.
In addition to learning about the impact of alternative assessments for licensure, the state should take concrete actions to change licensure policies to increase diversity, including eliminating assessments or other burdensome licensure requirements that disproportionally affect candidates of color.
Massachusetts does not invest in teacher preparation programs that prepare a high number of candidates of color.
The state should invest in supports and incentives for programs that prepare a high number of teachers of color, including minority serving institutions (MSIs), to grow their efforts to recruit and graduate more teachers of color. For an example, see Virginia’s increased investment in local historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that prepare teachers of color to work in STEM fields. source: virginiabusiness.com
meets criteria
GOAL 4: Target resources to districts and schools to support efforts to intentionally recruit and hire a diverse teaching workforceMany districts and schools across the country struggle to recruit and hire a more diverse teaching workforce using traditional methods. States play an important role in targeting resources toward these districts and schools to help develop initiatives that increase the racial diversity of the workforce. Research-based strategies that states should take to target resources toward these districts and schools include: |
Massachusetts provides competitive grants to districts to build out Grow Your Own programming. source: doe.mass.edu
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category. For another example of a state that earned a green, see Texas’ Grow Your Own grant program. source: tea.texas.gov
In October 2020, all 440 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) staff and approximately 50 partners participated in 16 hours of anti-racism and cultural competence training. The follow up training will include examining specific state policies and practices through an equity lens, including hiring and retention of staff.
Additionally, DESE is entering its second year of leading the Diversity Network, a network of schools, districts, and educator preparation programs working to diversify the educator workforces. Through support from our lead partner, The New Teacher Project (TNTP), network participants interrogate current practices and work to make changes to improve recruitment and retention efforts.
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category.
Massachusetts invests in the InSPIRED Fellowship that focuses on the recruitment of high school students into the teaching profession. source: doe.mass.edu
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category. For another example of a state that earned a green, see Oregon’s Minority Educator Pipeline Models Grant, which provides funds to school districts and postsecondary institutions to create collaborative processes, including a high school cadet program to recruit future educators who are culturally and linguistically diverse. source: oregon.gov
Massachusetts encourages and supports partnerships between districts and teacher preparation programs on their state website. source: doe.mass.edu
However, the state should invest in partnerships between districts and teacher preparation programs with the focus of attracting candidates of color to diversify the educator workforce. For an example, see New York’s Teacher Diversity Pipeline Pilot program that funds partnerships between districts, preparation programs, and other entities to assist teacher aides and teaching assistants in obtaining teacher certifications. source: p12.nysed.gov
Massachusetts invests in diversifying the superintendent pipeline through a fellowship program for qualified educators who desire to move into the superintendent role in the next five years, and support for school districts to become more culturally responsive and engage in intentional strategy development and execution arouund diversifying their educator workforce. source: doe.mass.edu
The state earned a green and is rated as a best practice in this category. source: doe.mass.edu
partially meets criteria
GOAL 5: Invest in efforts to retain teachers of color including improving working conditions and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth for teachers of colorWhile many states have invested heavily in efforts to recruit teachers of color, these efforts are compromised when districts and schools have difficulty retaining teachers of color. States can improve retention of teachers of color by investing in programming that provides ongoing support and growth opportunities and improves poor working conditions that disproportionately impact teachers of color. Strategies that states should take to retain teachers of color include: |
Massachusetts does not invest in high-retention pathways to teaching, including residency models and alternative certification programs that traditionally support and develop teachers of color.
The state should invest in high-retention pathways to teaching, including residency models and alternative certification programs that traditionally support and develop teachers of color. For an example, see Pennsylvania’s use of Title II, Part A funds to expand residency programs through the Innovative Teacher and Principal Residency Programs Grant. source: education.pa.gov
Massachusetts invests in leadership pipelines for teachers of color through opportunities like the InSPIRED Fellowship for aspiring superintendents. source: doe.mass.edu
The state earned a green and is rated as a best practice in this category. source: doe.mass.edu
Massachusetts allows each new teacher to be assigned to a mentor teacher and gives districts discretion in selecting the type of mentors and match criteria for each mentor. source: nctq.org
However, the state should invest in an induction and mentoring program that provides at least two years of support for new teachers. For an example, see Delaware’s four-year induction an mentoring program for new teachers. source: doe.k12.de.us
Massachusetts launched two new professional development academies for school and district teams this year. These two new offerings are designed to build the capacity of school and district teams to champion, plan for, and implement systemic improvements that result in more culturally responsive educational environments. Through professional development, coaching, and technical assistance, teams will learn about the intersection of race, culture, class and schooling and develop a common understanding of what culturally responsive instructional practices, pedagogy, and environments entail.
Therefore, the state earned a green in this category.