New Look at a Persistent Problem: Inequality,Mathematics Achievement,and Teaching

ABSTRACT

The authors examined the relation of school-year teaching practices to SES and race/ethnic score gaps in mathematics by fitting an individual growth model with a representative sample drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort data. There were mixed findings. Teaching practices had uniform effects for all students, increasing their scores equally during the school year. Teaching mattered in maintaining proficiency during summer, although modestly. Specifically, practices emphasizing analytical and reasoning skills, thought among mathematics reformers to be most effective, were positively associated with summer learning among low-SES students. The authors explore possible reasons for the weak association between teaching practices and mathematics scores.