Students’ Mathematics Learning from Kindergarten through 8th Grade

Abstract

Students’ Mathematics Learning from Kindergarten through 8th Grade: The Long-Term Influence of School Readiness Abstract We employed a large nationally representative data set for the U.S. elementary school students, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), to investigate the relationships between school readiness, measured in the fall of kindergarten, and students’ mathematics learning during the elementary and middle school years, including 8th-grade math course-taking. Main findings: School readiness (math and reading scores, and approaches to learning) showed a strong positive relationship with math scores at the end of each tested grade (1st, 3rd, 5th, and 8th). Students who entered kindergarten with higher math score tended to show a lower rate of math growth. Higher school readiness was strongly and positively associated with a likelihood that a student is taking Algebra I or above in 8th grade. Findings suggest that for minority students and students from lower SES backgrounds, improved school readiness would increase their math achievement.

Keywords

• mathematics learning
• school readiness
• inequality