Segregation in Mathematics Classes in Comparison to English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science

• In Event: Systemic Factors That Limit English Learners' Access to Mathematics: Lessons From a Research-Practice Partnership

Abstract

Research shows that remaining classified as ‘English Learner’ (EL) for a long term hinders students’ opportunities to take advanced mathematics courses and become eligible for college admission. There are many systemic factors that cause students to remain in this category for more time than it takes for a person to develop a second language naturally; one of them is the limited ability of schools to ensure class English proficiency heterogeneity—the diversity of students with different levels of English proficiency in the same given class. There is literature that shows that ELs are more likely to succeed academically and to develop English proficiency more efficiently when they are placed in heterogeneous classes in which social interactions with English-only (EO; native English user) students are likely to occur frequently. This evidence is consistent with the notion that social interaction is critical for ELs to both develop English as a second language and learn content in English. This paper will report on an investigation that examined how mathematics class English language heterogeneity patterns differ across different middle schools compared to English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies classes. We also examined student enrollment in remedial, basic, and advanced Mathematics classes for long-term English Learners (LTELs) and short-term English Learners (STELs)—students who respectively have been classified as ELs for more and for less than six years. We analyzed data on 8,990 grade 6-8 students from eight schools in the West Coast. This dataset included student socio-demographic information, English proficiency designation (LTEL, STEL, EO, or RFEP [reclassified as English fluent English proficient]), and academic history. Using Gini-Simpson’s index as a measure of English language heterogeneity, we measured English proficiency heterogeneity at both the school and class level, then we computed the magnitude of the heterogeneity of English proficiency of Mathematics, ELA, Science, and Social Studies classes relative to the schools to which they belonged. Also, using bipartite network-based methods, we examined in which classes LTEL and STEL students tended to enroll. While we expected to observe that the heterogeneity of classes would be commensurate with the heterogeneity of their schools, we found that heterogeneous schools had large numbers of homogeneous (segregated) classes. Furthermore, we observed that the enrollments of students in advanced mathematics classes (Accelerated Mathematics and Algebra) mostly comprised EO and RFEP students. In contrast, the enrollment of students in remedial classes mostly comprised LTEL and STEL students. These findings speak to the need for schools to develop strategies that allow them to support ELs by maximizing English proficiency class heterogeneity when making student class assignments.

Authors

• Roza Nalbandyan, Stanford University
  Presenting Author

• Guillermo Solano-Flores, Stanford University
  Non-Presenting Author