Choice of Holland's Social Type College Majors for U.S. Racial/Ethnic Groups

We used national data to study the longitudinal effects of several variables on choice of Holland (1997) social type college majors versus other majors. We examined these effects for four of the five major U.S. racial/ethnic groups, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, Blacks, and Whites. Effects of mathematics scores and gender on choice of social majors were fairly consistent across racial/ethnic groups, whereas effects of reading scores and SES differed across racial/ethnic groups. Results for Whites were most consistent with Holland's theoretical formulations regarding the effects of variables on choice of social-type educational/occupational environments.     

Gaps in educational outcomes: analysing national examination performance of Singaporean Malay and non-Malay students in the past 20 years

Singaporean students generally perform very well in international tests of mathematics and science. Nonetheless, in multi-cultural Singapore, there exist gaps with the Malays, a minority group in Singapore, systematically lagging behind the other ethnic groups of the Chinese and Indians in many educational performance indicators. While there have been previous qualitative assessments of this issue, rigorous statistical analyses are lacking. In this article, I analyse data from 1991 to 2011 of aggregate percentage passes in national examinations for the different ethnic groups in Singapore. Using time series techniques and regression, I uncovered two major findings. First, the Malay trends in percentage passes for the last two decades were strongly correlated with the non-Malay, national trends. Second, despite the correlation, there remained fluctuations around the national trend by Malay cohorts in the past two decades. Malay cohorts tended to perform better during an upward national trend, but also performed worse during a downward national trend, indicating systematic volatility in performance. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of current research on educational gaps and three decades of community self-help to improve the educational achievement of the minority Malays in Singapore.     

Social Equity Theory and Racial‐Ethnic Achievement Gaps

In the United States, racial‐ethnic differences on tests of school readiness and academic achievement continue. A complete understanding of the origins of racial‐ethnic achievement gaps is still lacking. This article describes social equity theory (SET), which proposes that racial‐ethnic achievement gaps originate from two kinds of social process, direct and signal influences, that these two kinds of processes operate across developmental contexts, and that the kind of influence and the setting in which they are enacted change with age. Evidence supporting each of SET's key propositions is discussed in the context of a critical review of research on the Black–White achievement gap. Specific developmental hypotheses derived from SET are described, along with proposed standards of evidence for testing those hypotheses.     

Book review of Personas Mexicanas: Chicano High Schoolers in a Changing Los Angeles

Science Education and Student Diversity: Synthesis and Research Agenda (Lee &; Luykx, in press) analyzes and synthesizes current research on how racial/ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic variability affects science achievement among K-12 students who have traditionally been underserved by the education system. The book begins with science achievement gaps among diverse racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. After describing the methodological and other criteria for inclusion of research studies, it summarizes major findings in the literature with regard to the relation of science achievement gaps to science curriculum, instruction, assessment, teacher education, school organization, educational policies, and students' home and community environments. Finally, it proposes a research agenda to strengthen those areas in which the need for a knowledge base is most urgent, as well as those that show promise in establishing a robust knowledge base.     

International Educational Performance of the United States: Is there a problem that money can fix?

This paper addresses two important issues concerning US education: first do monetary inputs affect educational achievement; and second, if monetary inputs do affect educational achievement, how does the US compare internationally, when considering both achievement and fiscal effort? We use several national and international reading and mathematics achievement tests as educational outputs; and US state and international income and educational expenditures per capita as inputs. Given our use of aggregate data we focus on describing the relationship between educational inputs and outputs at the state or national level. Still, our results indicate that there is an association between relative fiscal effort and achievement. We find that the US performs as expected, given its income and relative fiscal effort. We also find several US states to be as efficient as top performing foreign nations.     

清朝科举体制下少数民族教育公平问题及其解决策略

清初,由于统治者对科举考试认识的偏颇及科举体制的不完善等原因,产生了一系列民族教育公平问题。随着统治的逐步巩固,民族间教育文化水平的差距和民族教育公平问题成为统治的主要障碍。面对这一问题,统治者实施了科举考试、崇儒兴学等措施,以促进民族教育的公平发展进而实现政治统治的稳定。虽然在科举考试中采取了诸多对汉族士子看似不公平的政策以向本民族及其他少数民族"倾斜",但对教育文化水平相对逊色的少数民族而言,统治者从自身需要出发所作的决定,仍具有一定的历史意义,应对其进行公正的评价。     

Do Teachers’ Instructional Practices Moderate Equity in Mathematical and Scientific Literacy?: an Investigation of the PISA 2012 and 2015

Many efforts have been made to reach educational equity, especially to reduce mathematics and science achievement gaps by students’ socioeconomic status. Across countries, educators strive to reform traditional teacher-centered instructional approaches to more student-centered/inquiry-based instruction to improve equity in education. In this context, this study examines whether relationships between socioeconomic status and scientific or mathematical literacy are moderated by student-centered instruction. Ten countries covering a wide range of achievement levels as well as equity in education are selected for an international comparison. A linear regression analysis is applied to student achievement, equity, and frequency of student-centered instruction data from the PISA 2012 and PISA 2015. We find mixed results: As student-centered instruction is offered more frequently, the gap in mathematical and scientific literacy between low and high socioeconomic status is generally narrowed or maintained. In most countries, students’ mathematical and scientific literacy scores are expected to decrease across all socioeconomic status as student-centered instruction is given more frequently. The findings necessitate further scrutiny of how teachers implement student-centered instruction in various educational systems. This further research need to consider the complexity of implementation related to sociological and pedagogical aspects.     

“数学等于机会”：美国中小学数学教育公平问题探析

随着美国公众认识到个体的数学学习与数学能力在其发展中的重要意义,"数学等于机会"等理念获得广泛认同,数学教育中的公平问题也愈加受到关注。在美国中小学,不同族裔、家庭背景、城乡区域的学生在数学学习水平上存在着明显差距。导致差距的原因错综复杂,可以从教育资源配置、家庭背景、文化观念等方面予以阐释。     

A Review of “Constructing Identities in Online Communities of Practice: A Case Study of Online Learning”

ABSTRACT

This study addresses the issue of educational inadequacy and inequity for disadvantaged minority students. It estimates desired national standards and examines interrelated gaps in key school–teacher resources and mathematics achievement by linking national education data sets (National Assessment of Educational Progress [NAEP], Common Core of Data, and Schools and Staffing Survey). Although poor minority students’ chances to meet the national mathematics proficiency standard are undermined by the lack of their access to qualified teachers and adequate school funding, it turns out that the adequacy-based (absolute) gaps are much larger than the equity-based (relative) gaps. Meeting the NAEP Grade 8 mathematics proficiency standard requires substantial increases in per-pupil education spending (from $6,493 to $7,197 in year 2000 dollars) and in-field mathematics teaching rate (from 49% to 91%) across the nation. Research and policy implications are discussed.     

Introduction to “Racial Inequality and Education: Patterns and Prospects for the Future”

Abstract

American society is in the midst of profound economic and demographic changes. At the same time that the racial and ethnic composition of American society is changing, disparities in income and wealth have grown wider and more pronounced than ever before. This article explores the ways in which race is implicated in the widening gaps in wealth and opportunity, and how these inequities impact educational achievement.     

Measuring cognitive achievement gaps and inequalities: The case of Brazil

This paper introduces a new measure of educational inequalities based on cognitive achievement data, and uses it to examine achievement inequalities in mathematics between groups of students enrolled in basic education in Brazil. The groups of students are defined by their race, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), and region of residence. The Brazilian system of basic education currently produces poor results with respect to both quality and equity. The paper recommends that Brazil should work, concomitantly, to improve the achievement levels of its students and to close the cognitive gaps observed among different groups of students. Placing emphasis on just one of these goals is not an adequate public policy at this time. Proposals for carrying out these reforms can be classified as input or management strategies and are briefly discussed.     

Effects of Inquiry-Based Teacher Practices on Science Excellence and Equity

Abstract

Within science education reforms, a pedagogical shift from a teacher-centered, textbook-based instructional paradigm to a student-centered, inquiry-based model is called for. Despite strong theoretical grounding, there is limited empirical evidence that these reforms will achieve national goals of academic excellence and equity. The author used hierarchical linear models to estimate the extent to which 5 inquiry-based teacher practices promote achievement of all students (excellence) and reduce gaps in achievement among students with different demographic profiles (equity). Findings suggest that teacher practices that improve overall academic excellence simultaneously are as likely to contribute to greater inequities among more and less advantaged students as they are to close persistent achievement gaps.     

Deaf children from ethnic, linguistic and racial minority backgrounds: an overview

Deaf children from ethnic, linguistic and racial minority backgrounds demonstrate significantly depressed achievement levels relative to their White deaf peers. Educators of deaf children and youth have had a tendency to accept the erroneous proposition that deafness in some ways precludes ethnic and racial minority group membership and status. This article describes some of the unique social and educational realities faced by Black and Hispanic children and their families in the northeastern United States and the similarities experienced by deaf Black and Hispanic children and their families. Implications concerning educational assessment, placement, student expectations, curriculum development, staffing and policy making are noted as are recommendations that resulted from the first national conference on Black and Hispanic deaf youth held in March 1989. Demographic data are also presented showing the growth and distribution in the population of minority deaf children, as well as the results of a survey indicating the dearth of minority personnel, board members and specialized programs in schools.     

Estimating the Impact of Instructional Practices on Student Achievement in Science

This study used a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to estimate direct and indirect effects of instructional practices recommended by the National Science Education Standards on individual achievement. Three pedagogical reforms—namely, providing more opportunities for laboratory inquiry, increasing emphasis on critical thinking, and reducing the amount of teacher‐centered instruction—were expected to account for variability in school mean achievement and explain why gender, racial‐ethnic status, and socioeconomic status have more influence on achievement of students in some schools than in others. Results suggest that whereas the instructional policies recommended by the authors of the Standards may be associated with higher achievement overall, they are equally likely to have the unintended consequence of contributing to greater achievement gaps among students with different demographic profiles. Theoretical expectations about the impact of instructional practices on academic excellence and equity require further evaluation. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 1110–1126, 1999     

Parental Expectations and Children's Academic Performance in Sociocultural Context

In this paper, we review research on parental expectations and their effects on student achievement within and across diverse racial and ethnic groups. Our review suggests that the level of parental expectations varies by racial/ethnic group, and that students' previous academic performance is a less influential determinant of parental expectations among racial/ethnic minority parents than among European American parents. To explain this pattern, we identify three processes associated with race/ethnicity that moderate the relation between students' previous performance and parental expectations. Our review also indicates that the relation of parental expectations to concurrent or future student achievement outcomes is weaker for racial/ethnic minority families than for European American families. We describe four mediating processes by which high parental expectations may influence children's academic trajectories and show how these processes are associated with racial/ethnic status. The article concludes with a discussion of educational implications as well as suggestions for future research.     

Explaining the gender gaps in mathematics achievement and attitudes: The role of societal gender equality

The gender stratification hypothesis maintains that higher levels of societal gender equity predict smaller gender gaps in mathematics achievement and attitudes. Using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) across 56 countries, this study aims to provide a thorough empirical test of the gender stratification hypothesis. We employ a novel two-stage empirical strategy to investigate the link between societal gender equities and gender differences in mathematics achievement and attitudes. In the first stage, we use a semiparametric Oaxaca-Blinder (OB) method to decompose the gender gaps in each country into a part that is explained by gender differences in observable characteristics and a part that remains unexplained. In the second stage, we examine the relationships between the unexplained parts of the gender gaps and country-specific gender equity measures. The results highlight the importance of gender equity in the labor market in explaining cross-country variation in the gender math gap. We find that lower gender wage gap is significantly associated with a smaller unexplained part of the gender math gap favoring boys. In terms of the gender gaps in math attitudes, the results yield mixed support for the gender stratification hypothesis.     

The Dutch gender gap in mathematics: Small for achievement, substantial for beliefs and attitudes

In general, studies on gender and mathematics show that the advantage held by boys over girls in mathematics achievement has diminished markedly over the last 40 years. Some researchers even argue that gender differences in mathematics achievement are no longer a relevant issue. However, the results of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study of 2003 (TIMSS-2003), as well as the participation rates of girls in (advanced) mathematics courses, show that in some countries, such as the Netherlands, gender equity in mathematics is still far from a reality. Research on gender and mathematics is often limited to the relationship between gender differences in attitudes toward mathematics and gender differences in mathematics achievement. In school effectiveness research, theories and empirical evidence emphasize the importance of certain school and class characteristics (e.g., strong educational leadership, safe and orderly learning climate) for achievement and attitudes. However, there is little information available at to whether these factors have the same or a different influence on the achievement of girls and boys. This study used the Dutch data from TIMSS-2003 to explore the relationship between school- and class characteristics and the mathematics achievement and attitudes for both girls and boys in Grade 4 of the primary school. The explorations documented in this paper were guided by a conceptual model of concentric circles and involved multilevel analyses. Interaction effects with gender were assessed for each influencing factor that turned out to have a significant effect. The results of these analyses provide additional insight into the influence that non-school-related and school-related factors have on the mathematics achievement and attitudes of girls and boys.     

Expanding the Frame: Building Transnational Alliances for Racial and Educational Justice

U.S. educational policymakers and equity advocates often frame the negative ramifications of racial inequality in schools in terms of worries about the nation's future global economic competitiveness. This article draws on frame theory (Snow & Benford, 1988) and education organizing theory (Warren & Mapp, 2011) to argue that educational policymakers and advocates must expand this national competitiveness frame to advance racial and educational justice. By outlining the emergence and reification of the national competitiveness frame in contemporary U.S. education policy, this article demonstrates how the national competitiveness frame can successfully build domestic alliances and create urgency for education reform. However, it can also risk co-opting racial justice goals. Further, this U.S.-centric frame ignores the global experience of racialization and educational injustice shared by marginalized groups around the world. The article closes by suggesting that educational equity advocates build on these transnational connections and use a collaborative frame to build collective power among historically marginalized groups worldwide to advance racial and educational justice in both the United States and abroad.     

Policy impact of PISA on mathematics education: the case of Norway

This article addresses the policy implications of participation in international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), particularly the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the ways in which such implications might influence mathematics education. Taking Norway as a special case, this discussion focuses on insights into teaching, learning and assessment practices that can be inferred from the PISA study, and how participation in ILSAs has contributed to educational policy and even changed policymakers’ perspectives on schools, teachers and students. Following publication of the PISA 2000 results, Norway experienced a ‘PISA shock’, leading to the implementation of a national quality assessment system and national tests. In addition, changes were made to the mathematics curriculum for compulsory school and to mathematics teacher education. More recently, public debate has focused less on rank and league tables, shifting instead to the high number of low-achieving students and the low number of high achievers. Moreover, there has been little uptake of policy advice provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which focuses on strengthening accountability measures. Furthermore, although the Norwegian educational system in the past decade has undergone a decentralisation process, the educational system still follows the Nordic model, which focuses on equity and ‘education for all’. Analyses of the Norwegian case indicate that policymaking takes place in highly cultural contexts, and that international studies might be used merely to validate existing policy directions.