Learning About New Demands in Schools: Considering Algebra Policy Environments (LANDSCAPE)

Steele, Matt; Remillard, Janine T.; Baker, John; Keazer, Lindsay M.; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth

doi:10.12698/cpre.rr86

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 25 publications

(12 reference statements)

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“…In our analysis, used probability-weighted data approximating a simple random sample of the 13,075 school districts in the US. 7 6 A full research report of all survey findings from the LANDSCAPE Study (Steele et al, 2016) is available on the Consortium for Policy Research in Education publication website: http://www.cpre.org/LANDSCAPE. 7 Our analysis treats the school district as the unit of analysis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Universal Algebra I policy, access, and inequality: Findings from a national survey

Remillard

Baker²,

Steele

et al. 2017

EPAA

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Many in the US view algebra as a gatekeeper to advanced study of mathematics, and increasing enrollment in algebra courses as a strategy to address unequal access to educational opportunity. As a result, universal enrollment policies, which require all students to complete Algebra I by grade 8 or 9, have garnered attention in school districts or states. Based on a view that school districts are the primary implementers of state and national policy in the US, this study surveyed a nationally representative sample of districts to investigate the prevalence of such policies and their relationship to algebra enrollment. Districts reported substantial increases in Algebra I enrollments in eighth grade, although ninth grade remains the most common year students enroll. Only 26% of districts reported having universal enrollment policies; in these districts, linear regression indicated that an association with higher eighth grade Algebra I enrollment was moderated by poverty level (measured by FRL). As a result, universal policies, while decreasing within-district disparities, may increase disparities between districts. These disparities may be explained by maximally maintained inequality (Raftery & Hout, 1993) and effectively maintained inequality theories (Lucas, 2001), which posit that more affluent groups take deliberate action to perpetuate inequalities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The nature of those courses, whether they are heterogeneously or homogeneously grouped, and what content is taught in the name of Algebra I, is beyond the scope of this paper. Some findings related to course-specific constructs are addressed inSteele, Remillard, Baker, Keazer, and Herbel-Eisenmann (2016) and in forthcoming publications from the project.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Universal Algebra I policy, access, and inequality: Findings from a national survey

Remillard

Baker²,

Steele

et al. 2017

EPAA

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“…We chose algebra because of the important role it plays in the U.S. as a gatekeeper to future academic success (e.g., Moses & Cobb, 2001;National Governors Association [NGA], Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], & Achieve, Inc., 2008). In this study, we surveyed nearly 1,000 district decision-makers for mathematics in order to examine how they interpret demands associated with offering algebra for all students, the strategies they have developed to respond to these demands, and how their strategies shape students' opportunities to learn algebra (Steele et al, 2016). In particular, we focus on findings from analyzing a subset of survey items we developed that drew on an equity framework articulated by Gutiérrez (2012).…”

Section: Conclusion/recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Herbel-Eisenmann

Keazer

Traynor

2018

Teachers College Record

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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.

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“…California’s switch to CCSS-M in 2014, which required school districts to implement the new standards (Steele et al 2016), was a monumental shift in content and pedagogy. Many viewed the new policy as a potential end to the “math wars,” that is, the debates over mathematics that have occurred in waves throughout the past century (Schoenfeld 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

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

2022

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The year students take Algebra I historically determines how far they progress in secondary mathematics, creating complex equity issues around access to this course. By examining a case study of one large, urban school district adjusting to the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-M), we demonstrate how district leaders’ interactions, in combination with their organizational and institutional environments, led to an overhaul of the secondary mathematics course pathway, ending in detracked middle school mathematics. We find that district leaders’ deliberations of mathematics policy were constrained by organizational concerns around pedagogy, equity, logistics, and politics. In other words, the disruption created by the CCSS-M was limited by extant organizational priorities. This study has potential implications for theorizing disruptions and for better understanding equity-oriented mathematics policy and practice.

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Learning About New Demands in Schools: Considering Algebra Policy Environments (LANDSCAPE)

Cited by 4 publications

References 25 publications

Universal Algebra I policy, access, and inequality: Findings from a national survey

Universal Algebra I policy, access, and inequality: Findings from a national survey

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

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

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