UMass Boston Study Examines Racial Disparities in High School Math and Science Enrollments
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Boston Study Examines Racial Disparities in High School Math and Science
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By Barbara Graceffa and Carole Upshur
On April 11 UMass Boston researchers released a report on mathematics and science enrollment patterns for students in Boston, Framingham, Springfield, and Worcester that has received widespread attention in local and national media, and in local schools. They investigated the question of whether Latinos and black high school students are being provided with the educational opportunities that are crucial in preparing them to pass the high stakes test, the MCAS.
Under the direction of adjunct faculty member Rodolfo Vega, Ph.D., and Program Director Carole Upshur, second-year Public Policy Doctoral Program students Natalie Carithers, Charles Jones, Dale Lucy-Allen, Tatjana Meschede, and Charles Ndungu examined several school districts in the state. The work was done in collaboration with the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy.
They found that across all districts, across all high school grades, and for both math and science, Latino and black students are statistically significantly less often enrolled in higher level math and science courses compared to whites.
The report cites a Massachusetts Department of Education study that links MCAS mathematics scores closely with high school math courses in which students are enrolled. The lack of enrollment in such courses, then, provides a significant barrier to successful performance on this crucial test for Latino and black students and may help to explain the extremely high failure rates of these students. The scores in 1999 in the four communities show a range of 85 to 95 percent of Latino tenth graders failing the mathematics test. As of this year students will be required to pass this test in order to receive a high school diploma.
The set of courses in which students are enrolled is an indicator of among other things: their opportunity to learn in high school, preparation prior to high school, and overall experience with the educational and broader culture.
In concluding their report for the Gastón Institute, the Public Policy research team noted several policy considerations. These included: improved guidance processes to encourage Latinos to enroll and complete more rigorous courses; curriculum redesign so all courses meet the minimum standards for graduation; opportunities and incentives for students to go beyond the minimum material required for graduation; improved teacher training and professional development; longitudinal studies to trace student enrollment and achievement trends; and protections against culturally biased advising, placement, and assessment procedures. Finally, they strongly recommended “that the MCAS examination not be utilized as a graduation requirement until this systemic problem is addressed across the state.”