In 1989 I began my teaching career at Roosevelt Junior High School in Oakland where I taught 8th and 9th grade mathematics. I was completely ill-equipped to teach students who were just a few years younger than me. Chronic-absenteeism was so high, my class rosters were in the mid-40’s so as to ensure a daily class size of 30. Some students I saw only a handful of times throughout the entire year. There were not nearly enough seats on the rare days in which the stars aligned and more students than usual showed up. A class set of textbooks? Not a chance. Those were lost or destroyed long before I arrived. All the while, I watched a revolving door of substitute teachers ineffectively teaching mathematics to uninterested students as we tried to fill the teacher vacancy.
Even as a new teacher still wearing rose-colored glasses, it was hard to not blame the students’ apathy to school. Fortunately, I had a mathematics instructional coach who helped me understand the bigger picture that so much of a student’s educational success depends on the pure luck of WHERE the student lives. A tremendous amount of luck is involved:
- Does the student live in a zip code that has a tax base to provide ample educational opportunities?
- Does the student live in the school boundary of the “good” school or the “bad” school?
- Does the student get randomly assigned to the effective teacher or the classroom with the long-term substitute teacher?
During my tenure at Roosevelt, I vowed to spend my career improving mathematics education such that ALL students have access to top-quality mathematics instruction regardless of where they live. The only time luck should matter is when students are in a highly engaging classroom learning probability with dice, coins, and spinners.
I recently read two articles and thought I’d try to write a quick summary of the two.
- WestEd Blog Post: “Black Students Provide Insights Into the Best Ways To Engage Them in High School Math” (September 3, 2024) – Summarizing research published in the American Educational Research Journal.
- Edutopia Article: “Making Math Classes More Welcoming for Black Students” (June 24, 2022)
Mathematics is often seen as a gateway to opportunity, yet systemic barriers continue to hinder Black students’ engagement and success in high school math. Research from WestEd and Edutopia sheds light on the challenges Black students face and offers actionable strategies to create more inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments.
By addressing pedagogical gaps, fostering positive math identities, and making math relevant to students’ lives and aspirations, educators can play a critical role in closing achievement gaps and empowering Black students to thrive in STEM fields.
Key Challenges and Insights for Empowering Black Students in Mathematics:
1. Teacher Pedagogical Content Knowledge & Expectations:
Challenge:
Black students often perceive their teachers as inadequately prepared to teach math effectively, even when teachers possess math content knowledge, licensure, and experience. The WestEd study found, “Regardless of their teachers’ educational attainment and teaching experience, students in focus groups expressed concerns about their teachers’ knowledge of “how to teach” mathematics.” This highlights a gap between content knowledge and inclusive pedagogical practices. As a newly-minted teacher at Roosevelt with his B.S. in Mathematics, I embodied this challenge. I may have known the mathematics, but I had no clue how to teach it in a way that honored students’ existing math assets, actively engaged the students, or was culturally and personally relevant to the students.
Moreover, teachers’ low expectations of Black students compared to the students’ own higher expectations can also hinder their performance. I’ve written a lot about this here.
Solution:
Sustained and ongoing professional development focused on inclusive pedagogical content knowledge is essential. Our own 2023 California Mathematics Framework goes into great detail in Chapters 2, 9, and 10. Please give them a read.
2. Math Identity and Self-Perception:
Challenge:
Black girls are more likely than Black boys to perceive themselves as “not being good at math,” especially in general math classes. The WestEd study revealed, “Black girls who were in general math classes were much more likely (71 percent) than Black boys (14 percent) to have a negative math identity.” An initial experience of having a poor understanding of a math topic is often cited as a reason for this negative self-perception. This is fully in place by the time students are in 3rd grade and the race to learn the multiplication facts suddenly and publicly highlights the unnecessary focus on speed rather than depth of understanding.
Additionally, a disconnect exists between recognition for boys and girls. “Several Black boys in the focus groups (29 percent) identified their teachers’ recognition or acknowledgment as an indicator of them being good at math while none of the Black girls discussed being recognized or acknowledged by their teachers.” Relative to the boys, Black girls are rarely recognized for their mathematical brilliance or ingenuity.
Solution:
Implement inclusive and equitable teaching methods to cultivate positive math identities, particularly for Black girls. Chapter 2 of the CMF provides clear guidance on the five key components for equitable and engaging math teaching for ALL students. I have also written about it here.
It is also important that mathematics is culturally and personally relevant (Chapter 2, CMF). While this is a huge topic all by itself, we can begin by promoting role models and highlighting Black mathematicians and professionals who have succeeded in STEM. John Urschel, former football player and current mathematician is just one such example. There are loads of other role models.
3. Relevance and Connection to Career Aspirations:
Challenge:
Black students often fail to see the usefulness of advanced math in pursuing their desired careers, particularly in STEM. The WestEd study found, “Black girls in general math classes were more likely (86 percent) than Black boys (67 percent) to not see the connection between their desired careers and mastery of advanced math.” The disconnect between advanced math and their desired careers may largely stem from the fact that Black students are frequently actively counseled away from careers requiring a college education. As a result, few Black students complete the A-G requirements that open the door to a university education. Moreover, Black students are even facing the possibility of not being prepared for community college.
Solution:
Simply explaining the importance of math to students’ desired careers and increasing their awareness of STEM career paths places the “blame” on the students. As if the students only knew the importance of mathematics our problems would be solved. No! Instead, the adults in charge need to measure their success by the success of the historically marginalized students…Black students especially.
4. Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Cultural Relevance:
Challenge:
Black students may feel they do not belong in math classes due to systemic educational and societal structures that perpetuate negative stereotypes. According to the Edutopia article, “Unfortunately, today Black students often receive messages, explicitly and/or implicitly, that they do not belong in their mathematics classes.” Students receive these messages by looking at the demographics of the advanced math classes compared to the lowest classes. They also see it in the the fact that the A-G completion rate for Black students in California is significantly lower than the state average, with only around 33% of Black students meeting the A-G coursework requirements for UC/CSU college admission compared to 52% of white students, highlighting a significant disparity in college preparedness between racial groups. This disparity means a large percentage of Black students are not eligible to apply to California’s public universities without additional steps. Black students know they don’t belong in the advanced math classes because they are intimately aware that they were never invited in the first place.
Solution:
We can foster belonging by making math classrooms culturally responsive and mathematically affirming:
Let’s connect math to students’ lives and communities. The Edutopia article suggests, “teachers should consider mathematizing their students’ lives, inside and outside of school.” For example, discuss financial literacy issues relevant to Black communities. (Chapter 2, CMF)
We can create opportunities for students to share their experiences and perspectives. “When mathematics teachers listen to students, it provides the foundation for rich and democratic learning environments that promote inclusivity among all students.” Empathy interviews are a great way to capture qualitative data that will translated into concrete changes in the schools.
Schools can create a culture that recognizes and celebrates the strengths and talents of Black students. The Edutopia article recommends, “Before the end of the first month of school, teachers and students should be able to name at least one brilliant thing about your Black students.” In doing so, we create a supportive learning environment where Black students feel valued, cared for, and that they matter.
5. The Importance of Addressing Systemic Inequities:
Challenge:
Without placing the blame on teachers, we need to acknowledge the educational system as a whole is replete with explicit and/or implicit processes, policies, and procedures that send a clear message to Black students they do not belong in advanced mathematics classes. Unfortunately, the WestEd study notes that pandemic-induced learning disruptions have only exacerbated existing inequities in math achievement for Black students. The Edutopia article draws inspiration from Carter G. Woodson’s The Mis-Education of the Negro, highlighting the need to actively combat negative messaging about Black students’ abilities.
Solution:
We need to support teachers to operate within their sphere of influence to dismantle systemic inequities and foster high expectations. To address the achievement gap that does exist between black and white students, we need to invest in teacher training that empowers teachers to provide math instruction (and math intervention) that utilizes an acceleration approach rather than a remediation approach.
High schools need to rethink their course pathways in order to eliminate two-year Algebra I (or two-year Math I) courses that act as a “gatekeeping” effect and virtually guarantee a student will not complete all the A-G requirements. These two-year courses perpetuate inequalities and limit opportunities for Black students in lower tracks to access challenging material and potentially hindering their potential.
Teacher leaders should be given the opportunity to voice ideas for centering Black students – especially girls – in discussions about math education equity.
Final Recommendations:
- Invest in professional development for math teachers that emphasizes culturally responsive teaching practices, provides strategies for building positive relationships with Black students, and offers research-informed instructional strategies that provides equal opportunity for ALL students – especially our historically underserved students – to access advanced mathematics and demonstrate their mathematical brilliance.
- Adopt high-quality instructional materials that connects math concepts to students’ lived experiences, interests, and career aspirations. The MCOE Math Team can support school districts through a consensus-based adoption process that ensures adoption of HQIM.
- Create classroom environments that foster a sense of belonging, value student voices, and celebrate their strengths through the implementation of the recommendations in Chapter 2 of the California Mathematics Framework.
- Actively combat negative stereotypes and biases that may impact teachers’ expectations and students’ self-perceptions.
- Prioritize math-specific instructional coaching to equip teachers with the math knowledge and the math-specific pedagogical strategies that allows for high expectations of mathematics achievement of our students while centering the experiences and perspectives of Black students in mathematics education.
By addressing these challenges and implementing these strategies, educators can create more equitable and engaging math learning environments that empower Black students to succeed and pursue their goals. I welcome your thoughts.
Email: dhabecker@mcoe.org
.
.
.