Promoting Equitable Instructional Systems: Coherence Around District Instructional Visions for Mathematics Education

• In Event: Fostering Equitable, Culturally Responsive Instruction System-Wide: A Multidimensional Examination of Mathematics Education in Four Districts

Abstract

Purpose
District-wide instructional improvement requires establishing shared instructional vision and an infrastructure for crafting coherence around that vision (e.g., Cobb et al., 2020; Forman et al., 2021; Honig & Hatch, 2004). Yet, existing studies often prioritize dominant conceptions of equity that center on access and achievement, overlooking critical domains of identity and power (e.g., Cobb & Jackson, 2011; Gutiérrez, 2011; Srinivasan & Archer, 2018). Our multiple case study examined four U.S. districts’ visions for equitable mathematics, the extent to which those visions were shared among leaders, and the mechanisms districts established to realize those visions.

Theoretical Framework
We extend existing conversations on supporting coherent and equity-oriented district instructional systems by bridging Gutiérrez’s (2011) framework for equitable mathematics with coherent instructional systems (Figure 1). Gutiérrez’s (2011) framework suggests that equitable mathematics has (1) a dominant axis—student access to and achievement in rigorous mathematics (e.g., Wilhelm, 2014), and (2) a critical axis—attention to identity and power, including engaging student identities and empowerment for social justice (Authors et al., 2013; Gutstein, 2006).

We integrate this framework with literature on coherent instructional systems, which highlights the importance of a shared instructional vision (e.g., Cobb & Jackson, 2021); consistent messaging around that vision (e.g., Cohen & Ball, 1999; Park et al., 2023); and structures for crafting coherence around that vision (e.g. Forman et al., 2021; Honig & Hatch, 2004).

Methods
Our multiple case study (Yin, 2018) examines the nature of coherent instructional systems for equitable mathematics in four large, urban U.S. districts. Data analysis consisted of iterative coding cycles, memoing, and analytic matrices to identify patterns within and across districts (Miles et al., 2014).

Data
We draw on district documents and vision statements, 42 semi-structured interviews (7 district and 35 school leaders) from the four districts, and 19 observations of professional learning in one focus district.

Results
Across all districts, leaders had far fewer opportunities to craft coherence around critical dimensions of equitable mathematics than dominant ones. Districts’ visions prioritized dominant dimensions like high cognitive demand, and devoted less attention to critical dimensions of equity like empowering students for social justice (Table 1). In only one district did school and district leaders share a common instructional vision. In that district, district leaders spearheaded consistent messaging around that vision (Table 2). Still, even in that district, where critical dimensions were present in instructional visions and messaging around that vision was consistent, the critical dimensions of equity were largely absent from supportive mechanisms, like professional learning (Figure 2).

Significance
Equity in educational reform efforts is often relegated to an overarching perspective and is siloed into vision statements without extending into the ongoing work within the system (Howard, 2024). Building on previous literature on equitable mathematics and coherent instructional systems, our findings suggest that fostering equitable instructional systems requires districts to attend to critical dimensions of equity not only in their visions for mathematics instruction, but also in the instructionally-focused structures, routines, and conditions that reinforce them.

Authors

• Meghan Comstock, University of Maryland

• Ditra Backup, University of Maryland

• Ethan P. Smith, Washington State University - Tri-Cities

• Amy Johnson, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc

• Laura M. Desimone, University of Delaware