District Decision-Makers’ Considerations of Equity and Equality Related to Students’ Opportunities to Learn Algebra

Abstract

Background/Context In this article we explore equity issues related to school district decision-making about students’ opportunities to learn algebra. We chose algebra because of the important role it plays in the U.S. as a gatekeeper to future academic success. Current research has not yet explored issues of equity in district-level decision-making. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study We examine the extent to which district decision-makers for mathematics attend to aspects of equity when they make decisions about resources related to the teaching and learning of algebra. The research questions guiding this study were: How do district decision-makers for mathematics report considering issues of equity when making decisions about students’ opportunities to learn Algebra I? How do district characteristics, particularly students’ racial and ethnic diversity, affect the extent of equity considerations by mathematics decision-makers? Research Design We surveyed a national probability sample of 993 district decision-makers for mathematics about criteria that they consider when they select and distribute resources and structure learning opportunities in algebra for students and teachers in their districts. These survey items were our attempt to identify district-level practices in relationship to an equity framework. In this study, we examine national patterns in criteria for decision-making about algebra resources and examine the relation of these criteria to district features using a structural equation model. Findings Our findings suggest that fewer decision-makers considered equity-related criteria in their decision-making about algebra, while many tended to endorse equality-related items addressing considerations for all students, such as giving all students the same resources or attending to preparation for standardized testing. The vast majority of decision-makers reported considering real life contexts for algebra when making decisions about professional development (PD) and curriculum, while fewer considered the students’ culture or culturally relevant teaching. Decision-makers in only about half of the districts reported considering structural aspects, such as tracking. Modeling of the survey responses indicates that decision-makers in the most racially or ethnically and linguistically diverse districts have the greatest tendency to consider equity criteria in structuring students’ opportunities to learn algebra. Conclusions/Recommendations The extent to which district decision-makers for mathematics attend to aspects of equity is noteworthy because their decisions inform the selection and distribution of educational resources for learning algebra across districts. These findings raise important concerns with respect to how district decision-making mobilizes and shapes the resources available to teachers and students. Recommendations include supporting district decision-makers in a) expanding their conceptions of real life contexts to include students’ culture, b) considering different framings of the problem of participation gaps, c) reconsidering ability grouping and understanding the negative consequences of tracking, and d) carefully examining the kinds of stated and unarticulated rules, rewards, and sanctions that get put into place to uncover how inequitable practices get perpetuated.

Solving for X: Constructing Algebra and Algebra Policy During a Time of Change

“…In such cases, district leaders might be able to leverage the pedagogical benefits for students to make equitable policies more politically viable. The case of Cypress is not generalizable to most of the country, given the district’s documented long-standing concerns about equity, but it could be generalizable to other diverse districts (Herbel-Eisenmann et al 2018). Future research could explore this hypothesis, analyzing whether district leaders in various contexts leverage pedagogical strength to advocate for more equitable policies.…”

“…The decision to allow individual students to accelerate often falls to individual teachers or guidance counselors (Lewis and Diamond 2015), but the broader policy around when students have opportunities to take Algebra I falls to local district leaders (Herbel-Eisenmann, Keazer, and Traynor 2018; Turner and Spain 2020). District leaders are responsible for choices about curricula, instructional materials, and preferred pedagogical strategies (Wong, Coburn, and Kamel 2020); they must also determine how to implement state and federal policies (Spillane 1996) and respond to diverse groups of constituents (Ansell, Reckhow, and Kelly 2009).…”

Contested Justice: Rethinking Educational Equity Through New York City’s COVID-19 School Reopening Debates

“…Policy actors have also focused on groups identified as having been treated inequitably, such as children in low-income families, multilingual learners, Black and Latinx students, and students identified for special education ( Bulkley, 2013 ); at the same time, they often enthusiastically pursue universal initiatives that address “all students” (e.g., Herbel-Eisenmann et al, 2018 ; Lewis-Durham, 2020 ; Turner & Spain, 2020 ). Notably, although teachers have sometimes been understood as a resource to be distributed equitably (see Bulkley, 2013 ; Guiton & Oakes, 1995 ; Jencks, 1988 ) and a cause of inequity (as described, above), we have not found any education policy literature in which teachers were identified as a group treated inequitably.…”

Contested Justice: Rethinking Educational Equity through New York City’s COVID-19 School Reopening Debates

“…Some education policy scholars have also examined empirically how equity is framed or conceptualized. Most of this research has focused on policymakers, including "influential actors" (Bulkley, 2013), "policy insiders" (Bertrand, Perez, & Rogers, 2015), and "district leaders" or "district decisionmakers" (Herbel-Eisenmann et al, 2018;Turner, 2015), or scrutinized policies such as the "Every Student Succeeds Act" (Chu, 2019) and community schools (Lewis-Durham, 2021). In contrast, relatively few scholars examine the perspectives of those most directly impacted by educational policies, including minoritized and economicallydisadvantaged communities.…”

“…Policy actors have also focused on groups identified as having been treated inequitably, such as children in low-income families, multilingual learners, Black and Latinx students, and students identified for special education (Bulkley, 2013); at the same time, they often enthusiastically pursue universal initiatives that address "all students" (e.g. Herbel-Eisenmann et al, 2018;Lewis-Durham, 2021;Turner & Spain, 2020). Notably, although teachers have sometimes been understood as a resource to be distributed equitably (see Bulkley, 2013;Guiton and Oakes, 1995;Jencks, 1988) and a cause of inequity (as described, above), we have not found any education policy literature in which teachers were identified as a group treated inequitably.…”