Dissertation
Investigation of middle school mathematics tracking policies: the impact of open access and self-selection
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Autumn 2020
DOI: 10.17077/etd.005658
Abstract
The focus of this dissertation will be on investigating the impact of middle school mathematics tracking policies, while specifically focusing on a novel idea, called Self-Selection. Self-Selection is an intervention that provides open access to all levels of mathematics classes for students in grades six through eight. Under this program model students can self-select into advanced and double advanced mathematics courses. No prerequisites are required such as class grades, standardized test scores, or teacher recommendations. This intervention allows students and families to choose the mathematics class they feel is most appropriate.
The first study in this dissertation is a systematic literature review. In this study, the researcher explored various tracking and detracking policies that are implemented in middle schools today. Along with that, the researcher identified how these tracking and detracking policies impacted students’ mathematics attainment. The second study in this dissertation investigates the impact of the Self-Selection intervention on enrollments in middle school advanced mathematics classes. This article allowed the researcher to determine if the Self-Selection intervention was successful in interrupting systemic demographic trends in advanced middle school mathematics classes.
Results from the first study revealed that while there is evidence of successful detracked classrooms, most middle schools still implement strict tracking policies. The first study also revealed that students’ high school mathematics attainment is largely unaffected by middle school tracking and detracking policies. When students’ high school transcripts were analyzed, conclusive findings show that the proportion of students enrolling in higher level mathematics classes is unchanged per tracking and detracking middle school policies. Results from the second study reveal that the Self-Selection intervention was not successful at increasing enrollments of students of color in advanced mathematics courses. These results may be attributed to a lack of additional supports put in place by the school. As some detracking policies have been shown to be successful, favorable findings are largely attributed to additional interventions that were married with detracking. In the second study, we conclude that Self-Selection did not achieve its goal; however specific changes are recommended in hopes of changing future outcomes.
Overall, the results from this dissertation yielded that detacking at the middle school level can be successful if additional, and effective, supports are simultaneously implemented. Because systemic mathematics attainment trends appear to be unaltered by traditional tracking and detracking policies, this dissertation provides evidence of a novel idea that may interrupt such patterns. Again, Self-Selection would need to be adjusted to account for additional obstacles students face when choosing to enroll in advanced mathematics courses, but the idea of Self-Selection is worth further exploration. The findings of this dissertation are critical because increasing the number of students of color enrolled in advanced mathematics courses is essential to closing the mathematics achievement gap and guaranteeing that more students can successfully pursue STEM-related careers.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Investigation of middle school mathematics tracking policies: the impact of open access and self-selection
- Creators
- Alana M. Tholen
- Contributors
- Jamaal Young (Advisor)Dae Hong (Advisor)Stephen Dunbar (Committee Member)Gavin Fulmer (Committee Member)Leslie Locke (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Teaching and Learning (Mathematics Education)
- Date degree season
- Autumn 2020
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.005658
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xiii, 111 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2020 Alana M. Tholen
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 101-111).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
This dissertation investigates current mathematics tracking and detracking policies at the middle school level. A novel intervention is studied in this dissertation that seeks to provide equal access to advanced mathematics classes for all middle school students. This intervention is called Self-Selection. With the Self-Selection intervention, all students are guaranteed equal access to advanced courses. Therefore, this dissertation studies the impact of Self-Selection on enrollment trends in middle school mathematics classes.
This dissertation is comprised of two articles. The first article is a systematic literature review that investigates common tracking and detracking policies implemented today. No existing research on the Self-Selection intervention was found. This provided justification for the second article, which specifically studied the impact of the Self-Selection intervention. Findings in the second article reveal that the Self-Selection intervention did not disrupt systemic enrollment patterns in middle school advanced mathematics courses. The researcher speculates that the intervention would have been more successful if additional supports were implemented simultaneously. This is addressed in the second article.
In conclusion, this dissertation contributes to the existing body of literature by investigating a novel intervention idea that seeks to equalize mathematics education opportunities. While the results of the second study were not favorable, insight regarding tracking and detracking policies was gained. This dissertation provides important considerations for the mathematics education community, as practitioners will continue to seek ways to increase the number of traditionally marginalized students in advanced mathematics classes.
- Academic Unit
- Teaching and Learning
- Record Identifier
- 9984036790902771
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