Work

Hidden Disparities: How Courses and Curricula Shape Opportunities in Mathematics During High School

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Efforts to promote academic achievement by increasing access to courses, especially in mathematics, may mask educational disparities if variations in curriculum are not also monitored. A multi-dimensional description of students' mathematics curricula during high school was obtained from analyses of surveys, transcripts, and textbooks collected for a nationally representative study of adolescents during the mid-1990s. Few gaps in the number of years or credits in mathematics coursework were found. However, the quantity and cognitive challenge of instructional materials in textbooks adopted for those courses differed significantly both across and within mathematics tracks. Differences in the quality of curriculum accumulating during high school were also related to parents' education level. Reducing such gaps in learning opportunities would require teachers to supplement adopted instructional materials to ensure that all students receive a high quality mathematics curriculum.

Source: Equity & Excellence in Education

DOI: 10.1080/10665684.2010.517062

Authors: Kathryn S. Schiller, William H. Schmidt, Chandra Muller, Richard T. Houang

Institutions: State University of New York, University at Albany, State University of New York, Michigan State University, The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: School Choice and Performance

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development