A Guide to Detracking Math Courses

Book excerpt: Create a pathway to equity by detracking mathematics The tracked mathematics system has been operating in US schools for decades. However, research demonstrates negative effects on subgroups of students by keeping them in a single math track, thereby denying them access to rigorous coursework needed for college and career readiness. The journey to change this involves confronting some long-standing beliefs and structures in education. When supported with the right structures, instructional shifts, coalition building, and educator training and support, the detracking of mathematics courses can be a primary pathway to equity. The ultimate goal is to increase more students’ access to and achievement in higher levels of mathematics learning–especially for students who are historically marginalized. Based on the stories and lessons learned from the San Francisco Unified School District educators who have talked the talk and walked the walk, this book provides a model for all those involved in taking on detracking efforts from policymakers and school administrators, to math coaches and teachers. By sharing stories of real-world examples, lessons learned, and prompts to provoke discussion about your own context, the book walks you through: Designing and gaining support for a policy of detracked math courses Implementing the policy through practical shifts in scheduling, curriculum, professional development, and coaching Supporting and improving the policy through continuous research, monitoring, and maintenance. This book offers the big ideas that help you in your own unique journey to advance equity in your school or district’s mathematics education and also provides practical information to help students in a detracked system thrive.