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Download: MathPOWER Case Statement

About
MathPOWER, originally named Boston Algebra in Middle School (AIMS) Project, was founded in 1989. Inspired by the work of civil rights activist Robert Moses, MathPOWER aims to create more effective ways to teach mathematics to urban children. The increasing importance of math literacy combined with the widening achievement gap between more privileged school children and urban school children in Boston have created the need for MathPOWER. The goals of the organization are to equalize the quality of educational opportunities for all youth and promote advanced mathematical learning in urban schools.
MathPOWER works within the diverse neighborhoods of Boston:

• Of the 57,000 Boston Public School (BPS) students, 42% are Black, 35% are Hispanic, 14% are White, and 9% are Asian
• BPS Class of 2006 had a 59% graduation rate
• BPS average scores on the SAT I tests (Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) for the Class of 2006 fall below the State and US averages
• Only 53% of BPS students received an Advanced or Proficient rating on the Mathematics portion of the statewide standardized test (MCAS)

Mission
MathPOWER collaborates with public schools and community-base organizations in Greater Boston to promote and to advocate for math literacy and proficiency in advanced mathematics for all students, particularly students in urban school districts. MathPOWER is dedicated to promoting the learning of advanced mathematics in urban schools.

Vision
MathPOWER envisions a world in which all students achieve competency in advanced mathematics, a toolkit that is essential for a productive career and for lifelong learning.

History
The Boston Algebra in Middle Schools (AIMS) Project was founded in 1989. Its original mission was inspired by the work of civil rights activist Robert Moses. Moses correctly predicted that proficiency in advanced mathematics would play a critical role in qualifying individuals to participate in postsecondary education and to assume career pathways that would provide meaningful work and economic self-sufficiency. He became passionate about creating more effective ways to teach mathematics to urban children as he witnessed his own children’s struggle and growing disinterest in learning math. Under the heading of The Algebra Project, his work today continues at the national level to promote more effective ways of helping inner city children acquire facility with the symbolic language that lies at the heart of learning higher-level mathematics. At the time of its founding, the AIMS Project was part of The Algebra Project.

The AIMS Project changed its name to MathPOWER in 1998 for several reasons. First, the organization wanted to further emphasize the increasing importance that mathematical competency was projected to play in students’ options upon graduation from high school. Secondly, in anticipation of the growing importance of mathematical literacy, Boston moved to a standards-based mathematics curriculum with the adoption of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) focal points in the early 1990s. This endorsement of a standards-based curriculum, along with the Boston Public School System’s endorsement of an inquiry-based approach to teaching mathematics in grades K –8, required consideration of broader curricular and pedagogical issues than were encompassed by The Algebra Project. Finally, Massachusetts implemented a high stakes testing approach that required minimum scores of proficiency for students to be awarded a high school diploma. The MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) went into effect in 2001, and as a result, it was necessary to address the teaching and learning of content contained in the scope and sequence competencies outlined by the MCAS frameworks. MathPOWER continues to embrace the philosophy underlying The Algebra Project as it designs initiatives to be responsive to the unique circumstances and challenges found within the communities it serves.

In summary, within the course of its short history, MathPOWER has charted a responsive course amidst some powerful waves of change. Nestled in the community context of school desegregation as a result of court rulings in the mid-1970s, the Boston Public Schools (BPS) continue to face challenges in addressing the widening achievement gap scores that exist between more privileged school children and school children within urban environments. The BPS System has a preponderance of students from minority and/or underrepresented populations. The following statements reflect some of the current facts and demographics within the BPS System:

• Of the 57,000+ students attending Boston Public Schools, 42% are Black, 35% are Hispanic, 14% are White, and 9% are Asian
• Of the estimated 77,000 school age children living in Boston, some 19,000+ (or 26%) do not attend Boston Public Schools. Of the 19,000+ students who live in Boston but attend schools outside of the BPS, 45% are Black, 40% are White, 11% are Hispanic, and 3% are Asian
• 71% of BPS students are eligible to receive free meals in school
• Approximately 20% (11,170) of the total students in the BPS system have disabilities and are enrolled in special education programs
• Approximately 10,390 students within the BPS system are “English Language Learners (ELL) or Limited English Proficient (LEP). The five most common languages of these students include: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Chinese, Cape Verdean Creole, and Vietnamese
• The Class of 2006 had a 59% graduation rate (within four years) from high school; that rate rises to 67% if students transferring into the system are not included in the base figure
• Average scores on the SAT I Tests (Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) for the Class of 2006 fall below the State and the US averages
• Currently the BPS teacher demographics consist of 25% Black, 61% White, 9% Hispanic, and 5% Asian.

The Boston Public Schools have assumed increasing challenges associated with educating a more diverse student body amidst a time of rising expectations for student learning outcomes. Since its inception, MathPOWER has played a key role in providing professional development (coaching) to teachers within the BPS system. Ten years ago, MathPOWER began offering an Algebra Plus Summer Camp to support students’ learning of advanced mathematics. And, depending on the predominant challenge of the moment, the organization has focused its advocacy efforts on raising expectations that all students are capable of learning advanced mathematics and in promoting expanded pedagogical approaches to support student learning.

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