In the beginning stages of life, from the age of four to five years old, children are legally required to attend school and receive a basic education. Education is an extremely important aspect of one’s life because it allows one to gain knowledge, achieve success, and develop the fundamental skills required in daily life. Everyone truly wishes to attain an education, as it helps them land a stable income and/or job to survive. However, there are some who still do not have access to education or do not attain a proper education due to their race or color. One of the most basic fundamental skills needed in everyday life is math, which will truly be needed for daily life. However, some children across the country still do not attain a proper education in mathematics, and they are usually African American and Hispanic (Latino) students who have low scores. These two ethnic groups live in marginalized communities in which they have little to no access to a proper education and whose parents do not have a high source of income in order for them to have a proper education, leading them to rely on the public school system to educate their children. However, due to the lack of funding in the public school system, minority children suffer the most from achieving true academic success, exemplifying that the achievement gap in education is at an all-time high. The data on the achievement gap in mathematics between white children and children of color will be compared and analyzed throughout this essay to truly answer the question, “Why is there an impediment for children of color to truly excel academically in comparison to white students?” Poor performance in math education yields deficiencies in the basic skills needed for the majority of jobs in the workforce.

Clarence Johnson is a PhD student in Educational Leadership at Prairie View A&M University College of Education, and William Allan Kritsonis is a professor in the PhD Program in Educational Leadership. Both of them exemplify in their essay, The Achievement Gap in Mathematics: A Significant Problem for African American Students, that there is indeed an achievement gap in mathematics in the American school system, as the academic performance of African American children and other minority children across the country is significantly less than that of white students. Johnson and Kritsonis support their exemplification by conducting a research study as well as describing the data that is presented. They also support their exemplification by defining what the achievement gap dilemma truly is and how it still exists within the 21st century school system in the United States. Their purpose is to inform the reader about this significant issue that is currently taking place in our country in order to help the reader realize that, while segregation in schools among children of color no longer exists, it does exist in modern-day, albeit in different ways, such as an impediment to minority children’s success. Throughout their essay, they both establish a highly analytical and formal tone with their audience of parents of color, as well as with the mathematics education system of the United States.

Clarence Johnson and William Allan Kritsonis write in their study, The Achievement Gap in Mathematics: A Significant Problem for African American Students, despite considerable desegregation efforts, the public school system remains separate and unequal. Perceived abilities are still used to track or group students. Over the last two decades, minority children have consistently outperformed white and Asian American students in arithmetic. Although they improved in achievement, these improvements were in low-level and fundamental mathematics skills. Minority pupils often perform worse than their white peers in all mathematics curriculum areas, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment. There are still significant inequalities in arithmetic proficiency between various racial and ethnic groupings, despite gains across all ethnic groups. Instructional strategies and teacher quality are related, and minority pupils are less likely than children in schools with high white populations to be taught by instructors who have effective instructional and mathematical backgrounds. Depending on their color, gender, and social status, teachers have varying expectations for their students, and these expectations appear to be set in various ways. These expectations might have an impact on students’ arithmetic performance and chances of enrolling in advanced math courses. Both the underrepresentation of children of color in gifted programs and the likelihood that teachers will suggest them as applicants are factors. This contributes to the overall achievement disparity for minorities in the US. More focus must be given to groups like blacks in order to maintain this nation’s workforce in science and engineering. Funding from both public and private sources should go toward initiatives that raise the academic standards for high school graduation in math and science as well as programs that enhance the quality of math and science instruction in elementary and middle school grades, particularly in systems with a high concentration of students of color. A major problem in the country is the achievement gap between minority and white kids. The achievement gap has remained unchanged or worsened over the last three decades, despite minor increases in math and science for 9- and 13-year-olds.

In our daily lives, one must be educated in order to truly enhance one’s quality of life, as well as develop a multiplicity of skills in order to truly utilize them in the workforce and other daily endeavors. In their essay, The Achievement Gap in Mathematics: A Significant Problem for African American Students, Clarence Johnson, and William Allan Kritsonis demonstrate that something must be done to truly end the achievement gap in mathematics in the American education system, as minorities (specifically Blacks and Hispanics) score lower on exams as well as overall grades, and this could be due to a variety of reasons. Johnson and Kritsonis state, “Unfortunately, students in schools with a large number of minority students and low-income populations have fewer qualified teachers than those in schools that have large white populations.” “Approximately 33% of high school mathematics students in high minority schools and 30% of high school mathematics students in high poverty schools are taught by teachers without a teaching license or a major in mathematics.” Throughout their essay, Johnson and Kritsonis state that minority students are the ones who suffer the most from the achievement gap in mathematics, as most attend poverty schools, which are underfunded by their board of education. Due to their underfunding, the teachers they are provided are not qualified enough to truly teach students in the best way possible in order to succeed and excel academically. Without minority students receiving the best education possible to receive and/or get the best jobs in the workforce, they will lack the basic skills needed to truly succeed in their future workforce, as well as enhance their quality of life. Underqualified teachers and an underfunded school system will truly not help minority children truly shape the future into something that is truly better and brighter. Johnson and Kritsonis also state, “In order to sustain this country’s work force in science and engineering, it is essential that all available talent be used, and more attention be placed on groups, such as blacks, who are underrepresented in the American scientific community.” This citation truly exemplifies the importance of education and how education, specifically in mathematics, should be for everyone regardless of race or color. Programs should truly promote inclusivity to truly expand and/or diversify the number of programs available to students in order to truly help shape a child’s future and achieve the basic skills required to excel not only in school but also in the workforce, as they are required for survival. Education is truly needed in our daily lives and is truly needed to shape the children of the future.

Renee Perreaud is a master’s degree student in Special Education at the School of Education at St. John Fisher College. In her essay, Solving the Achievement Gap in Mathematics: It’s Not Just a Numbers Game, she implies that the achievement gap in mathematics is a serious issue in the United States education system as minority children are not truly receiving the education that is needed to excel academically as well as achieve academic success. Perreaud supports her implication by researching the topic through questionnaires, interviewing teachers at different schools, and describing the differences between schools in suburban communities (which have a higher population of white students) and schools in urban communities (which have a higher population of minority students). Her purpose is to inform the reader and/or make her readers aware of the racial disparity in academic achievement (known as the achievement gap) in order to help the reader, comprehend that the achievement gap can truly be seen in schools, especially in urban communities where the population of minority students is high. Throughout her essay, Perreaud establishes an investigative and conventional tone with her audience of educators (teachers), as well as school boards across the country.

In her essay, Solving the Achievement Gap in Mathematics: It’s Not Just a Numbers Game, Renee Perreaud interviewed colleagues and administrators to find out more about their experiences teaching children who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and live in poverty. They had discussed how difficult it might be to motivate students when so many other social factors appear to be more important. According to Perraud, the accomplishment gap in mathematics is well-known, and several strategies, studies, and analyses have been carried out to close the gap. Through the course of her investigation, she concentrated on three primary themes: the culture of the classroom, the home and family environment, and the credentials, experience, pay, and resources of the teachers. She had spoken with an official from an urban district in New York’s Upstate region to get her opinion on the subject of actively narrowing the achievement gap. in which they indicated that educators were doing everything they could to close the achievement gap, including developing new activities and collaborating with each student individually to ensure academic success. In her entire essay, Perassud asserts that viewing the achievement gap as a matter of opportunity offers a potential remedy by drawing attention to the lack of access to the very resources that support the academic performance of more advantaged pupils. She adds that for racial bias to be avoided and an atmosphere of equality to be fostered, instructional tactics must be used in the classroom. The family and home environment may have an impact on a student’s math success gap. In order for families to learn higher-level mathematics, they need to be provided with support for their kids, mathematical investigation methodologies, and working tools. Schools may need to work with parents to help them better grasp what is expected of them in terms of their children’s arithmetic accomplishments and progress. Parents’ opinions of mathematics can influence how well students believe they are doing in math. Parents are unable to assist their children in understanding math. This is a result of the way mathematics is now taught and the fact that Common Core has not given instructors the chance to sit down with parents and assist them in understanding these challenging expectations. By implementing effective collaborative practices, schools can increase math achievement and close the achievement gap. These practices include supporting all families in creating nurturing homes for their children, keeping parents informed about school initiatives and their children’s progress, organizing parent community engagement at school, at home, and in other settings, and working with the local community. Numerous factors, including poverty, homelessness, and family participation, have an impact on the achievement gap in mathematics. Families, support from teachers, encouragement for at-home activities, and support for comprehending the math curriculum, in addition to other learning activities, all contribute to encouraging and building abilities, which in turn leads to better results. It is observed that the failure to provide adequate resources hinders efforts to bridge the accomplishment gap. This is the larger issue of a resource imbalance. By giving children a rich, standards-based curriculum that is aligned and articulated across grade levels and by enhancing teacher awareness of the requirements of minority students, schools can raise math proficiency levels.

            In the world of education, race plays a major role in the academic excellence of students. In the United States, there is a major issue and/or crisis regarding the achievement gap, which significantly affects minority students and is caused by a variety of factors that can not only affect their academic achievement but also their entire future, as they will lack basic skills required to excel in the workforce. In Perreaud’s essay, “Solving the Achievement Gap in Mathematics: It’s Not Just a Numbers Game,” Perreaud states that education lies in the hands of those who operate the education system to truly ensure academic achievement and the building of a future for all students. She also claims that, while the achievement gap in mathematics has narrowed in recent years, it remains an underlying issue in the education system, as children from minority groups are the ones who lack basic skills, which can have a negative impact on their futures and are caused by a variety of underlying factors. “Another issue that needs to be addressed,” says Perreaud, “is that lower expectations often result in less feedback from teachers and grade inflation for subpar work.” Students in urban areas are frequently advanced to the next grade level without having mastered the higher-level mathematical skills of their white peers.” Throughout her essay, she implies that the achievement gap, particularly in mathematics, is a major issue in the United States education system today, with even teachers giving up on their students and still giving them a passing grade, regardless of whether or not they have attained the knowledge and or material learned. This is an underlying issue, as students do not receive motivation or encouragement from their teachers to truly excel in their future. Therefore, education is something that must be taught well and with care for students regardless of race or color, as it is needed to have basic skills in order to not only have academic validation or achievement but to not have a deficiency or lack of skills when entering the workforce. Perreaud also implies, “Education can change the lives of these students for the better.” Educate students on the best of what culture has to offer and then allow them to reform society. There can be success if schools embrace a culture of success. “Students need to step up and fight for their future and embrace learning.” In this citation, Perreaud exemplifies that they indeed hope to fully close the achievement gap in education (specifically mathematics) in the United States if students truly rise up and fight for their education, as it is something that can truly help shape their future. Education, motivation, and encouragement are something that is truly needed in order to fully close the achievement gap, as students need to attain an education in order to acquire basic skills, students need to have the motivation and true tenacity to excel academically, and students need encouragement from not only administrators and teachers but also their parents in order for them to attain the basic skills required for the workforce. Education will truly help reform the lives of students, especially minority students, if each and every individual fights for what is right so that every child can attain a proper education for their futures.

Education is truly needed and an extremely important aspect in order to excel, not only academically but also in the workforce, when looking to truly achieve success not only in quality of life but also in the workforce. In both articles, The Achievement Gap in Mathematics: A Significant Problem for African American Students and Solving the Achievement Gap in Mathematics: It’s Not Just a Numbers Game, both exemplify and/or imply that the achievement gap in mathematics remains a widespread issue in the United States education system. This is because minority students who attend schools that are underfunded score significantly lower than white students who attend a more prestigious school. Both articles imply that the consequences of the achievement gap due to school underfunding are limitless, but both demonstrate that without a proper education, minority students will not have the opportunity to excel academically and, more importantly, will have a decrease in their quality of life as well as not acquire the fundamental skills needed for their future (specifically in the workforce).This is why the authors of these articles and or essays strongly encourage educators, administrators, and the education system to rise up in order to help save the future of these students as well as for them to attain basic skills for their future jobs in the workforce. However, many parents and teachers still ask when race will no longer define the achievement of minority students and give them the opportunity to truly have a higher quality of life and success in the workforce. Education is truly a fundamental aspect of one’s daily life, as it is needed for survival and success, and should not be taken away from minority students simply because their education system is underfunded. No child should be left behind or be left to face adversity in the future, as education should be for everyone and have access to each and every child.

References

Johnson, Clarence, and William Allan Kritsonis. “The Achievement Gap in Mathematics: A Significant Problem for … – Ed.” Institute of Education Sciences, 19 July 2006, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED492139.pdf. 

Perreaud, Renee. “Solving the Achievement Gap in Mathematics: It’s Not Just a Numbers Game.” St. John Fisher University Fisher Digital Publications, Apr. 2015, https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1301&context=education_ETD_masters.