| Summary: | Thesis advisor: Sara Moorman === Between the years 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population in the United States grew by 15.2 million people at a rate faster than any other racial or ethnic group. Despite this population’s increasing size and political power, past researchers find that significant and persistent gaps exist between the test scores of Hispanic and non-Hispanic students. This study examines one solution proposed to close the test score gap: the assignment of students to demographically similar teachers. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, this study explores how instruction by ethnically and/or linguistically similar teachers affects the reading, math, and general science test scores of Hispanic kindergarten students. Findings suggest that when taught by a Hispanic teacher, students reported as Hispanic are predicted to earn reading test scores higher than those of students in other student-teacher dyads. Linguistic similarities have negligible effects on student outcomes after controlling for individual-, teacher- and school-level factors. Policy implications are described. === Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2015. === Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. === Discipline: Departmental Honors. === Discipline: Sociology.
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