Dive Brief:
- There are stark gaps in access to advanced math courses among high-achieving students, according to a recent study by The Education Trust, a research and advocacy organization focused on removing racial and economic barriers in education, and Just Equations, a nonprofit that aims to advance educational equity in math.
- The report found 46% of Asian students, 19% of White students and 29% of students from high socioeconomic backgrounds took Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate calculus by the time they graduated high school. Meanwhile, just 10% of high-achieving Black students, 15% of Latino students and 11% of low-income students did the same.
- Enrollment in advanced math courses can improve secondary school success, the study said. For instance, for high-achievers who did not take advanced math courses, high school graduation rates were 10 percentage points lower compared to those who did take these courses within varying racial and ethnic groups. It was also 14 percentage points lower between students from high- and low-income backgrounds.
Dive Insight:
To address disparities in students’ access to high-level math courses, the report suggests K-12 school leaders consider updating math standards so classes are more relevant and engaging.
Other recommendations include reducing counselor-to-student ratios in school districts with higher Black and Latino enrollments, adopting automatic enrollment policies based on a student’s prior achievement, and fostering a positive school environment that allows all students to feel welcome in advanced classes.
The EdTrust and Just Equations study analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ High School Longitudinal Study, which began in fall 2009. For the next eight years, the study tracked the same group of students starting in 9th grade and throughout their high school and postsecondary experiences, particularly their course enrollment patterns and academic achievement. The study’s scope spans a nationally representative sample of over 23,000 9th grade students from more than 900 public and private schools.
Taking advanced math courses can also boost a marginalized student’s likelihood of entering a postsecondary institution, the study found. Among Black and Latino students who took advanced math courses in high school, 74% and 81%, respectively, matriculated into postsecondary schooling. However, only 58% of Black students and 53% of Latino students who did not take advanced math courses ultimately continued on to postsecondary education.
High-achieving, underserved students who completed advanced math courses were more likely to have math teachers who centered their lessons on deepening students’ understanding and interest in the subject compared to students who did not take these classes, EdTrust and Just Equations found.
The study demonstrates the impact advanced math courses can have on marginalized students’ outcomes later in life.
At the same time, students across the U.S. and even the world are seeing major declines in math performance since the COVID-19 pandemic. There are signs that racial disparities are also widening in math nationally, with the subject’s scores diverging among 4th grade Black and Hispanic students compared to White students who took the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2022.
As schools grapple with finding ways to close racial achievement gaps and recover from pandemic-related learning loss, a McKinsey & Company report released in July suggested that districts increase instructional time — through solutions like tutoring — and seek to allocate resources equitably.
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