Inequality for All: Identifying and Addressing Curricular Policies Supporting Systemic Inequality in Mathematics

• In Event: Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: Curriculum Challenges: New Demands, Competing Priorities, and Persistent Dysfunction

Abstract

This paper uses data from all 50 state standards, over 100 district standards, as well as survey results from teachers in 61 school districts to examine Opportunity to Learn (OTL) in elementary, middle and high school mathematics, identifying how variations in the organization of content coverage (length, sequence, topic) indicates substantial inequalities in learning opportunities across and among states, districts, schools and classrooms. The role of socioeconomic status (SES) and minority status are also examined.

Authors

• William H. Schmidt, Michigan State University

• Richard T. Houang, Michigan State University

• Leland S. Cogan, Michigan State University