Race at the Top: How Superintendent Racial Representation Shapes Principal Diversity in Texas Schools

Abstract

Purpose: Students benefit from racially diverse educators, but racial diversity in student composition within U.S. schools has not translated into equal levels of principal diversity, as the profession remains overwhelmingly White. Superintendents play a critical role as district leaders in creating a more racially diverse teacher and principal pipeline. Research Approach: We use district-, school-, and year-fixed-effect models on a 16-year panel of Texas’ K-12 principals’ and superintendents’ data to determine whether superintendent race/ethnicity relates to the race/ethnicity of principals employed in the district. Findings: Black superintendents are linked to increased hiring of Black principals, especially among new hires; this pattern grows over consecutive years. Latinx superintendents show weaker, curvilinear relationships, with significant increases in Latinx principals only after long tenures. Event studies confirm that the appointment of Black or Latinx superintendents can influence principal diversity, though pre-trends complicate Latinx patterns. Implications: These findings suggest that increasing the racial diversity of superintendents can have a positive impact on principal diversity. The recruitment, retention, and support of Black and Latinx superintendents can serve as a strategy for addressing the lack of racial diversity in school leadership. Additional research is needed to understand better the factors that influence the hiring and retention of superintendents and principals of Color across a variety of district types.