Giving Compass' Take:

• The New Schools Venture Fund released a study last year that found fascinating results about diversity and inclusion within education, primarily in regard to the percentages of teachers that actually represented the demographics of the students. 

• How can DEI efforts help propel education forward? What are the benefits for the students? 

• Read about the range of results and effectiveness in teachers that go through racial bias training.

NewSchools Venture Fund 2017 study “Unrealized Impact,” was a groundbreaking study on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the education sector.

This study is based on input from more than 200 education organizations and nearly 5,000 individuals, and was authored by Xiomara Padamsee, CEO of Promise54, and Becky Crowe, Senior Adviser, Bellwether Education Partners.

Among the key findings in the report, DEI practices have a positive impact on staff recruitment, retention and overall favorability. Among Advanced DEI Organizations, 88 percent of staff promote the organization, and 61 percent of staff – regardless of race – reported that they intend to stay in their organizations for the next three years.

However, the percentage of Black and Latino leaders in American education, when compared to Black and Latino PreK-12 students, remains unbalanced. This is especially troubling given changing student demographics. In our sample, Whites represent 24 percent of students, 49 percent of staff at education organizations, 64 percent of leadership, and 74 percent of CEOs. Blacks and Latinos represent 61 percent of students, 41 percent of staff at education organizations, 24 percent of leadership and 17 percent of CEOs.

“As American students have become a more racially diverse population over the past decade, there is a stark difference between those who are doing the work and the racial demographics of the communities we serve,” said Frances Messano, managing partner, NewSchools Venture Fund.

Read  the full report on diversity, equity, and inclusion by Elly Stolnitz at PR Newswire.