{"id":73629,"date":"2024-07-29T00:18:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-29T04:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=73629"},"modified":"2024-07-29T00:18:01","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T04:18:01","slug":"real-equity-in-math-education-is-about-more-than-good-grades-and-test-scores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/real-equity-in-math-education-is-about-more-than-good-grades-and-test-scores\/","title":{"rendered":"Real equity in math education is about more than good grades and test scores"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Math education outcomes in the United States have been unequal for decades. Learners in the top 10% socioeconomically tend to be about\u00a0four grade levels ahead<\/a>\u00a0of learners in the bottom 10% \u2013 a statistic that has remained stubbornly persistent for 50 years.<\/p>\n

To advance equity, policymakers and educators often focus on boosting test scores and grades and making advanced courses more widely available. Through this lens, equity means all students\u00a0earn similar grades<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0progress to similar levels of math<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With more than\u00a0three decades of experience<\/a>\u00a0as a researcher, math teacher and teacher educator, I advocate for expanding what equity means in mathematics education. I believe policymakers and educators should focus less on test scores and grades and more on\u00a0developing students\u2019 confidence<\/a>\u00a0and ability to use math to make smart personal and professional decisions. This is mathematical power \u2013 and true equity.<\/p>\n

What is \u2018equity\u2019 in math?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To understand the limitations of thinking about equity solely in terms of academic achievements, consider a student whom I interviewed during her freshman year of college.<\/p>\n

Jasmine took Algebra 1 in ninth grade, followed by a summer online geometry course. This put her on a pathway to study calculus during her senior year in an AP class in which she earned an A. She graduated high school in the top 20% of her class and went to a highly selective liberal arts college. Now in her first year, she plans to study psychology.<\/p>\n

Did Jasmine receive an equitable mathematics education? From an equity-as-achievement perspective, yes. But let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/p>\n

Jasmine experienced anxiety in her math classes during her junior and senior years in high school. Despite strong grades, she found herself \u201cin a little bit of a panic\u201d when faced with situations that require mathematical analysis. This included deciding the best loan options.<\/p>\n

In college, Jasmine\u2019s major required statistics. Her counselor and family encouraged her to take calculus over statistics in high school because calculus \u201clooked better\u201d for college applications. She wishes now she had studied statistics as a foundation for her major and for its usefulness outside of school. In her psychology classes, knowledge of statistics helps her better understand the landscape of disorders and to ask questions like, \u201cHow does gender impact this disorder?\u201d<\/p>\n

These outcomes suggest Jasmine did not receive an equitable mathematics education, because she did not develop mathematical power. Mathematical power is the know-how and confidence to use math to inform decisions and navigate the demands of daily life \u2013 whether personal, professional or civic. An equitable education would help her develop the confidence to use mathematics to make decisions in her personal life and realize her professional goals. Jasmine deserved more from her mathematics education.<\/p>\n

The prevalence of inequitable math education<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Experiences like Jasmine\u2019s are unfortunately common. According to one large-scale study, only\u00a037% of U.S. adults have mathematical skills<\/a>\u00a0that are useful for making routine financial and medical decisions.<\/p>\n

A National Council on Education and the Economy report found that coursework for nine common majors, including nursing,\u00a0required relatively few of the mainstream math topics<\/a>\u00a0taught in most high schools. A recent study found that teachers and parents perceive math education as \u201cunengaging, outdated and disconnected from the real world<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking at student experiences, national survey results show that large proportions of students experience\u00a0anxiety about math class<\/a>,\u00a0low levels of confidence<\/a>\u00a0in math, or both. Students from historically marginalized groups experience this anxiety at higher rates than their peers. This can frustrate their postsecondary pursuits and negatively affect their lives.<\/p>\n

How to make math education more equitable<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2023, I collaborated with other educators from Connecticut\u2019s professional math education associations to author an\u00a0equity position statement<\/a>. The position statement, which was endorsed by the Connecticut State Board of Education, outlines three commitments to transform mathematics education.<\/p>\n

1. Foster positive math identities<\/strong>: The first commitment is to foster positive math identities, which includes students\u2019 confidence levels and their beliefs about math and their ability to learn it. Many students have a very negative relationship with mathematics. This commitment is particularly important for students of color and language learners to\u00a0counteract the impact of stereotypes<\/a>\u00a0about who can be successful in mathematics.<\/p>\n

A growing body of material exists to help teachers and schools promote positive math identities. For example,\u00a0writing a math autobiography<\/a>\u00a0can help students see the role of math in their lives. They can also reflect on their identity as a \u201cmath person.\u201d Teachers should also acknowledge students\u2019 strengths and\u00a0encourage them to share their own ideas<\/a>\u00a0as a way to empower them.<\/p>\n

2. Modernize math content<\/strong>: The second commitment is to\u00a0modernize the mathematical content<\/a>\u00a0that school districts offer to students. For example, a high school mathematics\u00a0pathway<\/a>\u00a0for students interested in\u00a0health care professions<\/a>\u00a0might include algebra, math for medical professionals and advanced statistics. With these skills, students will be\u00a0better prepared<\/a>\u00a0to calculate drug dosages, communicate results and risk factors to patients, interpret reports and research, and catch potentially life-threatening errors.<\/p>\n

3. Align state policies and requirements:<\/strong>\u00a0The third commitment is to align state policies and school districts in their definition of mathematical proficiency and the requirements for achieving it. In 2018, for instance,\u00a0eight states<\/a>\u00a0had a high school math graduation requirement insufficient for admission to the public universities in the same state. Other states\u2019 requirements exceed the admission requirements. Aligning state and district definitions of math proficiency clears up confusion for students and eliminates unnecessary barriers.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As long as educators and policymakers focus solely on equalizing test scores and enrollment in advanced courses, I believe true equity will remain elusive. Mathematical power \u2013 the ability and confidence to use math to make smart personal and professional decisions \u2013 needs to be the goal.<\/p>\n

No one adjustment to the U.S. math education system will immediately result in students gaining mathematical power. But by focusing on students\u2019 identities and designing math courses that align with their career and life goals, I believe schools, universities and state leaders can create a more expansive and equitable math education system.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Megan Staples is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Connecticut<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Math education outcomes in the United States have been unequal for decades. Learners in the top 10% socioeconomically tend to be about\u00a0four grade levels ahead\u00a0of learners in the bottom 10% \u2013 a statistic that has remained stubbornly persistent for 50 years. To advance equity, policymakers and educators often focus on boosting test scores and grades […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[435041],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-73629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-equity-in-math"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReal equity in math education is about more than good grades and test scores - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/real-equity-in-math-education-is-about-more-than-good-grades-and-test-scores\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Real equity in math education is about more than good grades and test scores - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Math education outcomes in the United States have been unequal for decades. 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