The role of reading proficiency in mathematics achievement score and coursetaking disparities

Middle school often constitutes an entry into high or low level math course tracks, which lead to disparities in coursetaking patterns through high school. Differences in coursetaking explain a significant portion of persistent math achievement gaps across race. Research indicates further that reading proficiency correlates with math achievement. However, we do not know the extent to which reading proficiency is considered in decisions about student placement into low versus high math classes at the middle school level; moreover, we do not know the extent to which reading proficiency interacts with race in predicting either math achievement or math class placement. This study addresses these questions. Eighty sixth grade students, each either Black or White, were administered three types of measure: a set of strictly numeric math tasks with no text, a reading achievement test, and a mathematics achievement test. Regression analyses examined the extent to which, after accounting for strictly numeric proficiency, reading explained unique variance in math achievement and in math course level placement, and whether the role of reading proficiency differed by race. Results indicate that reading uniquely and significantly contributes to the prediction of both math achievement and math course level placement, and that the weight it carries in placement is significantly less than in math achievement. No interaction between reading and race is supported in predicting either achievement or placement. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.