Challenging the White Frame of Mathematics Education: Racialized Differences on Math Test Scores

Emily Rucki, Math, Garinger High 

Curriculum Unit (pdf)

Synopsis

When most people think of math, they do not necessarily think numbers can be racist. What I have found is that while the numbers themselves are not necessarily racist, how we use them has power.  With that power has come inequities over the many years of education.  Students of color are showing much lower scores on standardized tests than their white peers.  In this curriculum unit I will provide activities that promote awareness of the white privilege that exists throughout the country.  My students and I will reflect on what white privilege is, what it means, and how it makes us feel.