Mathematics Equity and Social Justice Focus Group

Sponsored by DreamBox Learning

Lisa McCorquodale-Robalin
DreamBox Learning

Curriculum
Multicultural
Integrated

Mathematics

Concepts
Skills
Real World
Student Questions

Why a Social Justice Curriculum?

Integration of the state standards and social justice
challenges
Promote wise decision-making inside and outside the
classroom

Postsecondary Education is
Necessary

More Education is Better

Ready for College & Careers?

93% of middle school students goal is
to attend college; but, only 44%
actually enroll & only 26% graduate
within 6 years (Conley, 2012).
Teachers estimate that 63% of their
graduating seniors will be prepared
without need for remediation & that
51% will graduate from college; but,
only 25% were actually ready (ACT,
2012).

Ready for College and Careers?

20% (4-year) & 52% (2-year) must
enroll in remedial courses (Complete
College America, 2012).
30% of 1st-year African-American
college students reported enrollment
(NCES, 2013).
In community colleges, less than 25%
of students who required remedial
courses earned a degree or certificate
within 8 years (Bailey, 2009).

Math Equity Is The Answer!

Supporting College & Career

Readiness
College & Career
Readiness

Student
Parent

Teacher

Criminal Justice Fact Sheet

Incarceration Trends in America

From 1980 to 2008,

the number of
people incarcerated
in America
quadrupled-from
roughly 500,000 to
2.3 million people

Criminal Justice Fact Sheet

Incarceration Trends in America

Today, the US is
5% of the World
population and
has 25% of
world prisoners.

Criminal Justice Fact Sheet

Incarceration Trends in America
Combining the number of
people in prison and jail
with those under parole
or probation supervision,
1 in every 31 adults, or
3.2 percent of the
population is under some
form of correctional
control.

 According to Unlocking America, if African

American and Hispanics were incarcerated at
the same rates of whites, today's prison and
jail populations would decline by
approximately 50%
One in six black men had been incarcerated as
of 2001. If current trends continue, one in
three black males born today can expect to
spend time in prison during his lifetime

1 in 100 African American women are in prison

Nationwide, AfricanAmericans represent:

26% of juvenile arrests,
44% of youth who are
detained,
46% of the youth who
are judicially waived to
criminal court, and
58% of the youth
admitted to state prisons
(Center on Juvenile and Criminal
Justice).

Contributing Factors Include

Inner city crime
prompted by social
and economic
isolation
"Three
Strikes"/habitual
offender policies

 Zero Tolerance policies as

a result of perceived
problems of school
violence; adverse affect
on black children.
35% of black children
grades 7-12 have been
suspended or expelled at
some point in their school
careers compared to 20%
of Hispanics and 15% of
whites

Exorbitant Cost of
Incarceration: Is it Worth It?
About $70 billion dollars are spent on
corrections yearly
Prisons and jails consume a growing portion of
the nearly $200 billion we spend annually on
public safety

Education Costs
vs
Prison Costs
Data from 40 states depict how much
government money is spent per year to
educate an elementary/secondary school
student compared to the cost of keeping an
inmate imprisoned.
Source: U.S. Census Data and Vera Institute of
Justice Graphic: Tal Yellin / CNNMoney

Equity
and
Equality
ARE NOT

synonymous

Parenting

Community
Collaboration

Communicating

Decision
Making

Volunteering

Learning at
Home

Next Exit:
Strong Family
Partnerships &
Academic Success