Type 2
Issue No. 20
Spring 2006

Research Brief

Latino Students Take Different Paths in Learning Math from Kindergarten to Grade 3

The U.S. is experiencing rapid growth of its Hispanic population, with an overrepresentation of families living in poverty. Many Hispanic students are at a high risk of failure in school, with skills that often lag behind those of other racial and ethnic groups. These problematic gaps in learning have been associated with later social and economic inequalities.

Dr. Claudia Galindo, a postdoctoral research scientist with NNPS, used a national database (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten or ECLS-K) to study Hispanic students' math learning between kindergarten and third grade. Her study explored math achievement differences among Hispanic subgroups with family backgrounds from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, South America, and Central America. She analyzed the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and English language ability on math learning for 11,623 students, including 2,321 Latino students.

Patterns of Math Learning

Galindo found that Hispanic students entered kindergarten with lower math skills than did White and Black students. Patterns of math learning between kindergarten and third grade clustered in two groups. One group of students, whose families came from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Central America, began kindergarten with significantly lower math scores than White students and their math disadvantages persisted through third grade. A second group, with Cuban and South American backgrounds, was more similar to White students in math learning over time.

Influence of SES and English Ability

English language ability and SES were strongly related to Hispanic students' math learning. Students with better English skills and higher SES had better math skills than did students who did not possess these qualities. English ability had a greater effect on math learning than did SES for some Hispanic groups of students. SES had a strong effect in the early grades but became less important by grade 3.

Implications for Partnerships

Galindo's study has important implications for programs of school, family, and community partnerships. First, using a national sample, the study identified Hispanic groups who are particularly at risk of failure in school and who would benefit from immediate and responsive attention to math learning. Second, it suggests that schools that serve Hispanic students should communicate and work with parents to better understand the challenges students face in learning math and to guide parents in how to support and encourage math learning. Third, the results suggest that well-planned, math-related family and community involvement activities, along with excellent math teaching, may help reduce the expected relationship of SES and math achievement, particularly if the interventions and activities take into consideration the diversity of Hispanic groups.

From:

Galindo, C. L. (2005). Latino students' math learning trajectories in the early school years: The role of English ability and socioeconomic status. Doctoral Dissertation. Pennsylvania State University, State College.

Available online at: http://etda.libraries.psu.edu/theses/approved/WorldWideIndex/ETD-1143/index.html