Norwalk analysis finds race gaps, not gender, drive disparities in advanced math enrollment and scores

Norwalk Board of Education Ad Hoc Inclusion and Educational Justice Committee received a presentation March 5 showing that gender alone does not explain disparities in advanced high‑school math courses; instead the largest gaps track race and ethnicity, particularly for Hispanic and Black students.

Alden Burnham, the district’s director of educational data structure, told the committee the analysis disaggregated enrollment, grades and standardized‑test results across the advanced math sequence and by race, ethnicity and gender. "There is no significant gender disparity in the participation of high level math courses," Burnham said, and added that the most pronounced differences appear when race and ethnicity are considered alongside gender.

The finding matters because advanced math enrollment and performance are commonly used to predict postsecondary STEM participation and selective college admission. Burnham said the district’s equity goals and strategic plan justify examining intersectional gaps so administrators can target supports where they will have the greatest effect.

Burnham described the method: he visually compared the composition of advanced math classes against district enrollment (he used a hypothetical 30‑student classroom representing about 11,500 students) and reviewed GPA, course success rates and Smarter Balanced, PSAT and SAT scores. Key results he reported included: grade‑level advanced…