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 math enrollment is roughly gender balanced (Burnham cited a 51% male / 49% female split for a tenth‑grade honors geometry example); however, white students are substantially overrepresented in advanced courses while Hispanic students are underrepresented (Burnham said advanced courses include roughly 11 more white students and about five fewer Hispanic students than the district enrollment would predict).

Burnham also flagged an "intersectionality" pattern: girls typically earn slightly higher grades than boys in advanced courses, but that advantage does not reliably translate into higher PSAT/SAT scores in upper grades. He said success rates (the share who pass a course) in advanced classes are high overall (roughly 95–98% for many courses), but when broken down by race and gender Hispanic and Black students—especially Hispanic males and Black and Hispanic girls on standardized tests—are passing and earning lower grades and test scores compared with white and Asian peers. For example, Burnham reported Hispanic male students had some of the lowest pass rates in advanced classes and that white and Asian students earned higher average GPAs in AP classes compared with Black and Hispanic students.

Committee members asked about potential causes. Burnham noted noncognitive factors and teacher recommendations influence grades and placement. He said suspensions correlate with lower representation in advanced math but that suspension rates and placement are not distributed equally: "students that have suspensions, you would expect there'd be fewer of those students enrolled in these high level math classes," he said, and added that suspension and behavior incidents can be managed by instruction and policy and do not by themselves indicate lack of ability.

The presentation also noted Norwalk has a large and growing multilingual‑learner population—about one in five students—and language proficiency can affect access to higher‑level math when placement relies on combined measures including test scores, grades and teacher recommendations.

District responses and next steps described to the committee include continuing grading‑for‑equity work, internal bias training for principals and assistant principals (a recent session by Paul Forbes was cited), expanded use of data dashboards to monitor disparities (work tied to a district equity audit and research collaboration involving Dr. Eddie Fergus and Temple University), and streamlined articulation so placement decisions use multiple benchmark measures rather than a single test score or subjective judgment.

Deputy Superintendent Sandra Fayouis summarized the approach: "what we are trying to show through this committee is just how all of these things work together," she said, pointing to connections among discipline policy, literacy foundations, grading and course articulation.

Administrators also reported early school‑level results from midyear assessments. Norwalk High piloted a Horizons assessment aligned to the PSAT/SAT and, according to district staff, exceeded its midyear school improvement goal: more than 50% of students posted gains of 50 points or more on the midyear benchmark, and 44% of high‑needs students showed 50+ point growth in math. The district said McMahon (another comprehensive high school) showed similar midyear improvement using MAP assessments while implementing IB curriculum and SAT‑focused supports.

No formal policy decisions were taken at the meeting; staff offered additional analyses and said they will report back to the curriculum committee and to this ad hoc committee with further results and recommendations. Burnham told the committee he is available to run further regressions or deeper statistical analyses if members request them.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the minutes from the Jan. 28, 2025 meeting (motion moved by Board Member Howard White; second not specified; outcome: approved) and formally adjourned the meeting at 6:42 p.m. (motion moved/seconded on the record; outcome: approved).

The committee meeting ran about 42 minutes. Members said they expect continued work on grading policy, teacher recommendations and targeted interventions at Norwalk’s two comprehensive high schools to reduce the racial and intersectional gaps Burnham identified.