A Conversation with African-American High School Women

I took the opportunity to interview a few of my female, African-American students about their personal experiences and self-expectations related to mathematics. Student A will be graduating with next year’s class and Student B is getting ready to graduate this June. As part of our school’s ongoing effort to implement various types of assessment tools that can be used to track student growth, both student took the MAP general mathematics test this past winter. At the time of the test, neither student was enrolled in a math course, due to the limited scheduling our small school has available. Student A’s scores were ranked at the 33rd percentile and Student B’s scores ranked at the 41st percentile in the national ranking. Of the 31 students tested, these students ranked fourth and third overall, respectively, in RIT score.


I began inquiring about their personal perspectives on mathematics and potential factors that influenced them. Student B expressed that she always felt good at math, and therefore liked it. She considered that her older sister who was enrolled in AP math courses as having positive impact on her perceptions of mathematics. Although, according to the student, the sister was ready to cheat in her advanced mathematics courses, she did encourage Student B to practice problems and work hard in mathematics. In continuing her reflection, Student B noted that in middle school she enjoyed mathematics because she felt she experienced a lot of success. Her high school math curriculum was based online, and she “didn’t recognize any of it” and felt confused. As a result, she admits that she just gave up.

Student A expressed that she had never felt confident in the subject. Student A said that she also had two sisters who were “good at math” but she said she could not recall a time that she felt “good” at it. She explained further that she could “do the work” but needed support to be successful. She does not like to work hard in a subject that does not come “natural” to her.

In looking towards the future, both seemed confident in their abilities and did not fear a lack of mathematical skill as being a barrier to their post-high goals and plans. Student A stated that although she did not consider herself good at it, she would be able to do what was required of her. This was reflected as we toured the Seattle Vocational Institute. At this site, students are required to pass an entrance exam in which they must show at least an eighth grade proficiency. Both students verbally expressed that they did not think that would be hard and seemed confident in their ability to successfully enter the programs for medical or dental assisting. According to the MAP norms, Student A is testing at about the eighth grade level, while Student B tested slightly higher, between the ninth and tenth grades.

An interesting theme emerges from this conversation, one that I have seem repeatedly in my years as a math educator in primarily minority student populations. Both students opinion of math was based on the level of difficulty. I wonder if “hard” means “not worth it” in other aspects of their lives, or if there is something unique to the context of mathematics. If these students do not see a viable purpose that affects their lives, it is understandable that once it no longer comes easily, there is no reason to continue. It seems that self-confidence could also influence their responses. When considering an “easy” concept, the labeling suggests they have the self-confidence to work until it is mastered. Once material becomes “hard” they lack belief in themselves that they can be successful if they apply themselves.

Source: www.nwea.org