A Closer Look at Black-White Mathematics Gaps: Intersections of Race and SES in NAEP Achievement and Instructional Practices Data

Abstract

Drawing from the 1990, 1996, and 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress, this study examines Black-White disparities in 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade mathematics achievement and instruction. Substantial Black-White achievement gaps were identified, such as 12th-grade Black students scoring below 8th-grade White students. Furthermore, an analysis of race and SES together in the 1996 data revealed that student SES failed to account for much of the Black-White achievement gaps. Several instruction-related factors were also found to differ by race even after controlling for students' SES. This study provides evidence that, despite current reforms promoting highquality mathematics education for all, Black students of both low and high SES are being left behind. Although achievement gaps between White and Black' students narrowed in the 1970s and 1980s (Tate, 1997), these gaps now appear to be widening (Campbell, Hombo, & Mazzeo, 2000; Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Lee, 2002). Recent examinations of Black-White achievement gaps have tended to focus on students' overall school achievement and experiences. In contrast, this article focuses specifically on students' achievement and learning experiences in a subject that is used as a key gatekeeper in U.S. society: mathematics. One important tool for monitoring mathematics achievement gaps is the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP is the only nationally representative, ongoing assessment of academic achievement in the United States. The NAEP measures student performance at grades 4, 8, and 12 in mathematics and other subject areas. The NAEP also provides information from student and teacher questionnaires regarding mathematical backgrounds, beliefs, and instructional practices. This study uses NAEP data to examine the nature of Black-White mathematics achievement gaps, including the extent to which such gaps appear linked to student socioeconomic status (SES) differences, as measured by parent education level and literacy resources in the home.3 Given that substantial portions of the Black-White gaps were not accounted for by SES differences, the study also examines the extent to which these gaps might be related to differences in the instruction students received. Specifically, this study addresses the following questions: 1. How large were the Black-White gaps in mathematics achievement at grades 4, 8, and 12, as measured by the 1990, 1996, and 2000 NAEP? 2. To what extent were the Black-White gaps attributable to differences in students' socioeconomic status? 3. For which instruction-related variables were there Black-White differences that were not attributable to student SES differences, and, therefore, could underlie Black-White achievement gaps that persist after controlling for SES? The 1990 assessment was chosen as a starting point for examining achievement trends because it was the first assessment aligned with current mathematics education reforms (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 1989, 1991, 2000). The 2000 assessment is the most recent for which general mathematics achievement data are available. However, the 1996 NAEP data set is used to answer questions about SES in conjunction with race, because that is the most recent raw data available. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Several examinations of Black-White achievement gaps have been published recently. Perhaps the two most famous examples are Hernstein and Murray's (1994) The Bell Curve, and Jencks and Phillips' (1998) The Black-White Test Score Gap. Whereas Hernstein and Murray make the controversial claim that achievement gaps could be genetically based, Jencks and Phillips argue that achievement gaps can be closed with proper attention to issues related to schooling (e.g., class size, teacher competency requirements) and family supports. In a recent review, Lucas (2000) noted that both of these books describe statistical attempts to reveal whether Black-White achievement gaps are due to genetic or societal factors. …