The Larger Equation: A Study of Why Minorities Are Less Likely to Enroll in Advanced Math Classes (2016)

Undergraduate: Ryan Hutchings

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

---

Data from The National Student Clearinghouse shows that students that graduate from wealthier urban and suburban schools with low minority populations are more likely to earn associate, bachelor¿¿¿s, and advanced degrees in STEM fields than graduates from lower income urban schools with high minority populations. A possible factor as to why the STEM field is seeing fewer degrees from graduates from high minority population areas could be that many of these minorities are not enrolled in the classes that would allow them to pursue such degrees. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that less minority students are enrolled in advanced math classes in high school then their white and Asian American peers. This research will examine the performance of minority students inside of two different honors math classrooms at an urban high school in a low-income area with a high minority population. The research will examine possible factors that may lead to explain why there is low enrollment of minority students in advanced math classes. Data includes the motivation of students based on self-assessment and observation and teacher-student interaction based on learning and discipline. Other observational data will include classroom atmosphere and the relationship between students and teacher with emphasis on race.