Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

1. My topic is Teaching Algebra.

2. A problem in mathematics is that some student test scores are affected by their race or ethnicity.

The failure in foundational math classes for urban students of color is seen in the fact that only between 8 and 10% of African American and Latino students in California were proficient in algebra based on the 2008 California Standardized Test of Algebra (Education Trust, 2008).   Overall, 65% of African American students and 60% of Latino students who took algebra scored below the basic level on the California Standards Test in Algebra.  By contrast, 65% of white students and 80% of Asian students who took algebra scored at the basic level or above (Education Trust, 2008).    
"Background - The Algebra Crises." Background - The Algebra Crises. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. <http://ghspacers.com/create/background.html>.

3. If the student is Hispanic, then they are likely to have lower Math Start test scores than other races.

4. To do this experiment, I will use data from the California Department of Education. I will obtain the CST scores from each grade level, starting from second grade up to twelfth grade. Using all this data, I will form a chart with every year's scores. I will then compare all the scores between all the different races. For high school classes, I will only take into account just the regular math classes. For example, instead of eight grade math, I will only look at algebra for that year. This makes the comparing much easier.

5. Behavior/Social Science