Black Girls in High School Mathematics: Crossing the Borders of Deficit Discourses

• In Event: 56.081 - Roundtable Session 24
  In Roundtable Session: 56.081-17 - Perspectives on Black Student Success in K–12 Education

Abstract

This paper explores the discourses of three Black girls in one high school Algebra 1 mathematics classroom. We investigate how these students navigated a border crossing from deficit discourses about student success and toward success in mathematics. We further argue that the teacher’s classroom practices, which facilitated this border crossing, were striving toward equity. The classroom practices we found included: (a) assigning competence, (b), valuing multiple solution paths, (c) helping group members, and (d) explaining mathematical thinking. Our analyses disrupt inequality and contribute to student and teacher agency.

Authors

• Teresa Kathleen Dunleavy, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College

• Nicole Michelle Joseph, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College