Increasing academic support for students by raising high expectations, and providing mentoring and nurturing, is one of the major factors in building an equitable curriculum (Murphy, 1996; Franklin, 2003). The Office of School Improvement at the Florida Department of Education (2004) identified several characteristics of effective school programs among which setting high expectations for students and among teachers is most critical. Strategies that increase student expectations include the following (Florida Department of Education, 2004; Franklin, 2003; Hoyle, 1994; Cummings, n.d.; Stiff, n.d.):
The challenge of increasing expectations is threefold: Expectations may be eased or hampered by the way parents view education, the way teachers view their students, and the way students view themselves (Franklin, 2003). Cultural prejudices, poor resources, and frequent misconceptions may foster low expectations among teachers (Franklin, 2003). Students' races and languages are commonly the reasons for unconscious prejudice that cause the difference in teacher assumptions regarding each student. As a result, such misconceptions lay the foundation for student failure in school mathematics and science, and also lead students to believe that mathematics does not and should not make sense (Secada & De La Cruz, 1996). Students sense such a faulty teacher belief system and report feeling underestimated by their teachers, whose expectations are "wretchedly, boringly low" (The Education Trust, 2004). Good teachers ensure their students feel that they belong:
"I wanted them to know that they belonged. That what had been done in the past, they can do themselves. So I had to give them a sense of security. I had to let them know that I was accountable to them. I had to let them know that whatever they brought to the classroom, I was going to deal with it. I had to remember that each and every one of those children, each child was someone that I had remembered in my planning. Remembering those techniques I had created for dissemination that day. Remember the way I decided how to deal with a test. I had to remember each and every child; I knew that I had to validate who they were. Not accept failure. Not disrespect them, act as if they couldn't do—because I know, they can"
Regarding students themselves, the disparities among their own expectations of themselves are not as evident as is the mastery of skills and resources. According to a 2000–01 survey conducted by the Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN, 2002), there is only a slight difference among African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and white students regarding their academic aspirations and attitudes. All students reported having much desire to succeed in school, but not all of them receiving equal support and resources (MSAN, 2002).
Return to "Remembering the Child: On Equity and Inclusion in Mathematics and Science Classrooms."
