Indicator: School and workplace racial and ethnic diversity Breadcrumb Home Indicators School and Workplace Racial and Ethnic Diversity Definition Individuals are exposed to racial and ethnic diversity within their schools, postsecondary institutions, and workplaces. Recommended Metric(s) Pre-K, K-12, postsecondary: Student body composition by race and ethnicity (%) Workforce: Employee composition by race and ethnicity (%) Type(s) of Data Needed Administrative data Why it matters In both schools and the workplace, greater diversity is shown to reduce intergroup prejudice1 and improve intelligence and innovation.2 In early learning settings, racial and ethnic diversity is positively associated with children’s language development.3 Racially integrated elementary and secondary schools are associated with improved life outcomes for all students, including higher college enrollment and success, higher lifetime earnings, more diverse social circles, and better social skills in adulthood.4, 5 In postsecondary settings, frequent interracial interactions and more diverse campuses are related to positive student outcomes, such as growth in leadership skills, psychological well-being, and intellectual engagement.6, 7, 8, 9 Diverse workplaces are related to improved employee interpersonal skills and innovation, financial performance, and less conflict.10 However, high levels of racial segregation persist in many settings. For example, in 2018, 13 percent of Black students, 16 percent of Latino students, and 18 percent of White students attended schools where at least 90 percent of their classmates shared their racial and ethnic background.11 What to know about measurement Student and employee demographics are reported regularly in administrative data systems. Unlike postsecondary institutions and employers, however, pre-K and K–12 institutions have less direct control over the demographics of their populations. Thus, this indicator should be used to identify policy solutions to address ongoing segregation rather than penalize institutions. Note that we suggest capturing the diversity of school leadership in the representational racial and ethnic diversity of educators indicator. For a workforce-level correlate, employee composition data could be disaggregated by management level to assess the extent to which workers of color (or any other demographic group) are represented in management positions. E-W Case Studies Image California's Cradle-to-Career Data System California is developing a data system that brings together data from early learning programs, schools, colleges, financial aid providers, employers, workforce training programs, and social services. View Case Study Source frameworks This indicator appeared in four source frameworks reviewed for this report. Our recommendations align with Alliance for Resource Equity’s definition for “diverse classrooms and schools.” We expanded the definition and metric to include workplace racial and ethnic diversity as well. References 1Pettigrew, T. F., & Tropp, L. R. (2006). A meta-analytic test of intergroup contact theory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(5), 751–783. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.5.7512Rock, D., & Grant, H. (2016). Why diverse teams are smarter. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-are-smarter3Reid, J. L. (2016). Racial/ethnic diversity and language development in the preschool classroom. School integration matters: Research-based strategies to advance equity, 39-55. https://www.pennstatelawreview.org/print-issues/the-racial-and-ethnic-composition-of-prekindergarten-classrooms-and-childrens-language-development/4Siegel-Hawley, G. (2012). How non-minority students also benefit from racially diverse schools. Research brief no. 8. National Coalition on School Diversity. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED5716215Stuart Wells, A., Fox, L., & Cordova-Cobo, D. (2016). How racially diverse schools and classrooms can benefit all students. The Century Foundation. https://tcf.org/content/report/how-racially-diverse-schools-and-classrooms-can-benefit-all-students/6Bowman, N. (2013). How much diversity is enough? The curvilinear relationship between college diversity interactions and first-year student outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 54, 874–894. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-013-9300-07Bowman, N. A., & Park, J. J. (2015). Not all diversity interactions are created equal: Cross-racial interaction, close interracial friendship, and college student outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 56, 601–621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-015-9365-z8Maruyama, G., Moreno, J. F., Gudeman, R. H., & Marin, P. (2000). Does diversity make a difference? Three research studies on diversity in college classrooms. American Council on Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED4444099Milem, J. F. (2003). The educational benefits of diversity: Evidence from multiple sectors. In M. Chang, D. Witt-Sandis, J. Jones, & K. Hakuta (Eds.), The dynamics of race in higher education. http://web.stanford.edu/~hakuta/www/policy/racial_dynamics/Chapter5.pdf10Gomez, L. E., & Bernet, P. (2019). Diversity improves performance and outcomes. Association, 111(4), 383–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnma.2019.01.00611Schaeffer, K. (2021). U.S. public school students often go to schools where at least half of their peers are the same race or ethnicity. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/12/15/u-s-public-school-students-often-go-to-schools-where-at-least-half-of-their-peers-are-the-same-race-or-ethnicity/