SGER: Overcoming Barriers to Success in Higher Level Mathematics for African American and Latino Students

Minority Student Achievement Network, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

The proposers will catalog and analyze classroom barriers-attitudes, concepts, skills, instructional strategies-that prevent students' egress to higher level mathematics classes, and to study and compare parental attitudes and interventions between majority and minority parents toward their children's course-taking habits and decisions. The mathematics specialists involved in the exploratory phase of the work will compile school-specific and network composite lists of barrier concepts, and will then develop a set of instructional strategies and resources to redress the barriers. Minority and majority parents of students in grades 5-7 will be interviewed as to their understanding of the role of higher level coursework, and access to such courses; the effectiveness of district communications; their understanding of district policies; and their relationship with schools.