Systems of Access: Structural Inequities and Opportunity Pathways Across Science, Literacy, and Mathematics

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 2

Session Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

This roundtable examines how educational structures shape access to rigorous learning opportunities across disciplines and student groups. The four studies investigate the intersecting effects of tracking, discipline, resource allocation, and regional policy on equity in science, literacy, and mathematics. Using critical race quantitative, multilevel, and longitudinal approaches, the authors reveal how opportunity gaps are produced through systemic factors—such as placement policies, staffing inequities, and regional resource disparities—rather than individual deficits. Across varied contexts, findings highlight how multilingual learners and other marginalized students navigate institutional barriers to advanced coursework. Together, the papers advance a structural understanding of opportunity, emphasizing policy and practice levers for creating more equitable educational systems.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Access, Detracking, and Tracking

Chair

• Anysia P. Mayer, California State University, Stanislaus

Papers

• A Comparative Group Analysis of Rigorous Science and In School Suspension Odds - Kristian Edosomwan, University of Houston; Syahrul Amin, Texas A&M University; Jarrod G. Collins, Texas A&M University

• Mathematical Pathways and Barriers: How Tracking Systems Affect Multilingual Learners' Access to Advanced Coursework in Utah - Marieke Timmer, University of Utah

• Policy, Place, and Possibility: Dual Enrollment Access, Growth, and Equity Challenges in California’s Central Valley - Zenaida Aguirre-Munoz, University of California - Merced; Vandeen Campbell, Rutgers University - Newark; Liantao Shan, University of California - Merced

• Unforgetting Educational Debt: Structural Drivers of Literacy Inequities for Multilingual Learners - Diana L. Mindrila, University of West Georgia; Robert A. Griffin, University of West Georgia

Session Organizer

• Briana L. Chang, The College Board

Discussant

• Kristian Edosomwan, University of Houston