Educators enrolled in the online M.Ed. — Literacy program at Eastern Washington University (EWU) develop a deep understanding of diversity in all its forms. Diversity encompasses a number of identifiers, including race, ethnicity, gender, degree of disability and socioeconomic background. Scholars and educators study diversity through different lenses. Inspired by the book Cooperative Learning and Strategies for Inclusion by JoAnne W. Putnam, Public School Review details three categories of diversity: developmental and learning disabilities; sensory impairments; and cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Understanding these categories is a critical first step for literacy educators, who must be equipped to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. Recognizing how identity and background shape a student’s relationship with reading and language is essential to designing equitable, effective instruction.
Diversity Growth in Education
The demographic gap between students and teachers in U.S. public schools remains substantial. In the 2022-2023 school year, students of color made up 52% of public school enrollment nationwide, while teachers of color accounted for just 21% of the teaching workforce, according to TNTP, a national education research nonprofit. The representation gap between teachers and students of color has remained above 30% for five consecutive years.
An analysis by the Economic Policy Institute found that in 2023, nearly half of U.S. K-12 students were Black, Hispanic, or Asian American and Pacific Islander, while only a quarter of teachers identified the same way. The disparity is especially pronounced at the high school level: the share of Hispanic teachers is 15.8% lower than the share of Hispanic students.
The Role-Model Effect
A 2024 review in Education Next synthesized more than a decade of research on how teachers of color can improve outcomes for students of color. Their research confirmed that same-race teacher matches are associated with improved test scores, higher graduation rates, greater college enrollment and reduced disciplinary incidents for students of color.
Researchers call this phenomenon the “role-model effect”; students of color benefit academically and emotionally from seeing teachers who share their background. The Economic Policy Institute notes that same-race teacher matches are also associated with lower high school dropout rates and greater college aspirations, as well as reduced exclusionary discipline, such as out-of-school suspensions.
Dedicated to Diversity
School districts and policymakers across the country are taking action to build a more diverse teaching workforce. States including North Carolina, California, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York have launched initiatives to recruit and retain teachers of color. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $18 million in grants to support teacher-training programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which prepare approximately half of the nation’s Black teachers, according to Education Next.
These efforts reflect a broader recognition that representation in the classroom has measurable consequences for student outcomes. When students see educators who share their backgrounds and experiences, research suggests they are more likely to stay engaged, persist through challenges and aspire to higher education.
Acknowledging Challenges
Despite growing awareness, achievement gaps between students of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds remain a persistent challenge. A 2023 report from the Pew Research Center found that most teachers (56%) say topics related to racism or racial inequality come up in their classrooms at least sometimes, yet navigating these conversations remains difficult in many school contexts, particularly as views on what schools should teach vary sharply by political affiliation and district.
Structural barriers also complicate progress. Teacher shortages, inequitable school funding and limited pipeline programs in underserved communities all contribute to the persistent underrepresentation of educators of color, making systemic investment in teacher preparation and retention essential to closing the gap.
Teaching for Maximum Learning
A diverse student population benefits everyone in the classroom, but only when diversity is actively and thoughtfully engaged. Pedagogical techniques that promote equal-status interaction and collaborative learning are essential for creating environments where all students can thrive.
The structure of peer groups that encourages as much equal interaction as possible benefits individual students and the class as a whole. In other words, when a teacher lacks awareness of student diversity, students suffer.
About the Master of Education in Literacy Online Program at Eastern Washington University
An M.Ed. in Literacy through the entirely online program at Eastern Washington University can prepare you to successfully honor diversity in the classroom. Courses like Transformation of Learning and Teaching and Critical and Social Literacies offer preparation for teaching student populations with varying ethnicities and socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds to embrace equity and social justice.
Graduates leave the program ready to advocate for all learners and implement research-backed literacy strategies that reflect the full diversity of their classrooms. This unique program gives educators the knowledge needed to close diversity gaps.
Learn more about EWU’s online M.Ed. in Literacy program.
