Study Finds Teacher Inequity In Poorest Texas Schools

AUSTIN (AP) – A review finds low-income and minority students in Texas are more likely to attend schools with inexperienced teachers who are not fully certified.

The study released today in Austin is by Washington-based The Education Trust, which advocates for low-income and minority students.

The nonprofit group examined the 50 largest districts in Texas, finding “sometimes stunning” inequities in teacher credentials, experience, turnover and average salaries in 43 districts.

Experts have long believed that teachers with the most experience are most effective. State educator advocates say the results of the study are nothing new.

The report found:

Schools educating the most low-income and minority students are more likely to have teachers who lack full certification, or have fewer than three years of teaching experience than schools with fewer such students. The highest-poverty and highest-minority schools are also likely to have higher teacher turnover rates than other schools.

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