Dive Brief:
- Low-income kindergartners who entered school as high-achievers in math are more likely to lose their high-achiever status by 4th grade compared to higher-income students, according to findings published Oct. 29 by NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research company that produces the MAP Growth assessment and analyzes its results.
- Overall, low-income students make up more than half of the U.S. student population but comprise only 20% of high-achievers in math, according to the analysis, which was based on nearly one million U.S. students between 2021 and 2025.
- "This underrepresentation raises important questions about whether students who demonstrate exceptional mathematical achievement are being identified and supported equitably throughout their school careers," the report said.
Dive Insight:
The report stressed that equity challenges were especially pronounced in the elementary grades. A possible explanation, NWEA said, is that early elementary math achievement is especially sensitive to instructional opportunities, home environments and out-of-school supports.
In elementary school, students from higher-income families might have more access to supplemental learning opportunities, stable learning conditions, and advocacy for more rigorous coursework. Meanwhile, lower-income students may be less consistently identified and given less-challenging opportunities.
The report recommends treating advanced achievement as an equity issue. It suggests that schools and districts should:
- Expand their identification systems to recognize high achievement in math.
- Monitor access and advanced opportunities throughout a student's academic career rather than give a one-time opportunity to be classified as "high-achieving."
- Ensure low-income students have consistent access to challenging math opportunities.
“Our findings highlight that there are many lower-income students with the potential to score at the very top of the distribution in math,” said Megan Kuhfeld, NWEA's director of growth modeling and data analytics, in an Oct. 29 statement. “However, the challenge is whether we identify their ability early and then consistently provide the opportunities and support they need to sustain it.”
In 2023, an EdTrust and Just Equations study found stark gaps in access to advanced math courses in the higher grades among high-achieving students from different economic and racial backgrounds.
Black, Latino and low-income students were the least likely among high-achievers to enroll in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate calculus by the time they graduated high school. Asian and White students and students from higher-income backgrounds were more likely to participate in comparison.
In 2024, when the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts were in full swing, some 32% of 6,800 K-12 parents surveyed by Gallup said that financial barriers prevented their children from attending summer programs, one of the main avenues school districts used to address academic recovery and that was shown to benefit achievement.
