WHEN TEACHERS LOOK LIKE ME: HISPANIC/LATINO TEACHER-STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY MATCHING AND ITS EFFECT ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, AND OUTCOMES

<p class="p1">This thesis evaluates the relationship between Hispanic/Latino teacher representation, specifically with student-teacher race/ethnicity matching and student outcomes in K-12 education. As the Hispanic/Latino student population continues to grow rapidly across the United States, there remains a persistent underrepresentation of Hispanic/Latino teachers nationwide, which leads to significant representation and achievement gaps. Through a comprehensive literature review, analyzing data from Hispanic/Latino-dense school districts across the United States and qualitative literature, this thesis investigates how teacher-student racial/ethnic matching affects attendance patterns, socioemotional and academic outcomes, and much more. Findings reveal that Hispanic/Latino students in classrooms with same race/ethnicity teachers demonstrate lower rates of chronic absenteeism, with the positive effect having more of an emphasis in high school grades (11<span class="s1">th</span> and 12<span class="s1">th</span>) and during morning classes. This research highlights the urgent need for targeted initiatives and policies to increase Hispanic/Latino teacher recruitment and retention, mostly in districts with high Hispanic/Latino student populations.