Martha Cecilia Bottia

Effects of School Racial Composition on K–12 Mathematics Outcomes A Metaregression Analysis

Recently published social science research suggests that students attending schools with concentrations of disadvantaged racial minority populations achieve less academic progress than their otherwise comparable counterparts in more racially balanced or integrated schools, but to date no meta-analysis has estimated the effect size of school racial composition on mathematics outcomes. This metaregression analysis reviewed the social science literature published in the past 20 years on the relationship between mathematics outcomes and the racial composition of the K–12 schools students attend. The authors employed a two-level hierarchical linear model to analyze the 25 primary studies with 98 regression effects. Results indicate that school racial isolation has a small statistically significant negative effect on overall building-level mathematics outcomes. This relationship is moderated by the size of the sample in the study and by the way the independent variable was operationalized. Although it is small, the effect size is substantively meaningful. The effects are stronger in secondary compared to elementary grades, and racial gaps widen as students age. The emergence and widening of the race gaps as students move through the grades suggest that the association of racial segregation with mathematics performance compounds over time. Implications for educational policy and future research are discussed.

Collective Pedagogical Teacher Culture and Mathematics Achievement Differences by Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status

Scholars have not adequately assessed how organizational cultures in schools differentially influence students’ mathematics achievement by race and socioeconomic status (SES). We focus on what we term collective pedagogical teacher culture, highlighting the role of professional communities and teacher collaboration in influencing mathematics achievement. Using cross-classified growth models, we analyze data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study and illustrate that schools where teachers perceive the presence of professional communities and teacher collaboration foster greater mathematics achievement throughout elementary school. Furthermore, achievement gaps by race and socioeconomic status are lessened in schools with professional communities and teacher collaboration.

The Prevalence of Alcohol-Involved Homicide Offending A Meta-Analytic Review

This study meta-analyzes 23 independent studies that included information from 28,265 homicide offenders across nine countries. On average, 48% of homicide offenders were reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the offense and 37% were intoxicated. We found no demographic variations across age, gender, or race, although the proportion testing positive within the United States appears to be decreasing over time. Further, the proportion of offenders who were under the influence of alcohol was lower among those who committed the homicide with a firearm. Communities that have high homicide rates should work to reduce alcohol consumption rates.

Foundations of Mathematics Achievement: Instructional Practices and Diverse Kindergarten Students.

Analyzing Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey—Kindergarten (ECLS-K) data, we examine how exposure to instructional practices influences math test scores at the end of kindergarten for children from different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and for children with different levels of math skills at kindergarten entry. We also analyze the relationship between socioeconomic background and math academic readiness within racial/ethnic categories. Our results demonstrate that race/ethnicity and levels of math academic readiness moderate the relationship between instructional practices and math achievement. While we find that interactive group activities enhance students’ mathematics achievement in kindergarten and that drills enhance math academic achievement of students with high math academic preparedness in kindergarten, we also find that use of manipulatives as well as music and movement have significant negative effects on mathematics achievement of Black students. Given the importance of kindergarten for launching children onto successful academic trajectories, the findings have implications for addressing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status gaps in mathematics achievement.

Moving Latino/a Students Into STEM Majors in College The Role of Teachers and Professional Communities in Secondary Schools

We argue that Latino/a students are more likely to major in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in college if they were educated in high schools where they studied with satisfied teachers who worked in collaborative professional communities. Quantitative results demonstrate that collaborative professional communities in high school are important for Latino/a students’ choice of major in college. Results from qualitative interviews clarify how Latino/a students’ perceptions of precollege educational environments shape their decisions to major in STEM.

Teacher Collaboration and Latinos/as’ Mathematics Achievement Trajectories

Latino/a students’ low mathematics achievement is a pressing issue given their increasing numbers in the United States. This study explores the relationship between teacher collaboration and Latino students’ math achievement, taking into account the great diversity of Latinos/as in America. Using multilevel growth models, we analyze Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-K data from approximately 1,900 Latino/a students and find that teacher collaboration has, on average, a nonsignificant effect on the mathematics achievement growth of all Latino/a students between kindergarten and fifth grade. However, when analyzed separately, teacher collaboration is shown to have a positive relationship with the math academic trajectories of Latino immigrant students, while having a negative association with the math trajectories of Latino/a students who do not speak English at home.