Is School Racial/Ethnic Composition Associated With Content Coverage in Algebra?

Abstract

This brief utilizes data from the U.S. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study of 2011 (TIMSS) to investigate the extent to which teacher reports of content coverage in eighth grade algebra classes vary according to school racial/ethnic composition. The analytic sample is comprised of eighth grade algebra classrooms in 111 schools across the country, with 9 schools that are predominantly Black, 20 schools that are predominantly Latinx, and 82 schools that are not predominantly minority. Results of regression analyses reveal that, net of school, teacher, and student characteristics, the time that teachers report spending on algebra and more advanced content in eighth grade algebra classes is significantly lower in schools that are predominantly Black compared to those that are not predominantly minority. Implications for future research are discussed.

The Challenges of Achieving Equity Within Public School Gifted and Talented Programs

“…Clearly, some students are doing fine on their own, but not all students are. Too many districts with majority-minority student populations see gifted or advanced learning programs as racist, elitist, or just not important, so they offer fewer of them (see Gentry et al, 2019, for an example of gifted education in Title I schools; see Morton & Riegle-Crumb, 2020, for an example of who has access to eighth-grade algebra).…”

On Track or Derailed? Race, Advanced Math, and the Transition to High School

“…Another potential explanation focuses on the most common measures of performance in the course-taking literature, grades and test scores, which capture the interplay of both student ability and opportunities to learn (Gamoran et al 1997; Rowan, Correnti, and Miller 2002; Schiller et al 2010; Schmidt et al 2015). Unequal access to learning opportunities before high school, often due to differences in teacher quality or in course availability, content, and rigor, could lead to differences in academic preparation and performance among rising ninth graders, even if they are on the same track and have the same grades in previous courses (Gamoran 1987; Hallinan 1996a; Morton and Riegle-Crumb 2020).…”

The Relationship between Ninth Graders’ Perceptions of Teacher Equity and Their Math Identity: Differences by Student Race and School Racial Composition

“…Theories like stereotype threat explain how these stereotypes can even impair students’ ability to demonstrate their knowledge (Steele and Ambady 2006). Many districts have tried to move away from formal academic tracking practices, yet Black and Latinx youth remain more likely to be placed into math courses with lower average achievement and spaces characterized by heightened levels of student disengagement and lower levels of teacher self-efficacy, resulting in impaired teacher-student relations and fewer learning opportunities (Morton and Riegle-Crumb 2020; Tyson 2011). Teachers may also exhibit indirect and direct racism and sexism (Copur-Gencturk, Cimpian, and Lubienski 2020), with a recent study finding teachers’ behaviors communicate their perceptions of Latinx boys as “dumb” (Musto 2019).…”