The relationship between mathematics scores and family and consumer science education

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, public school districts in the United States are working to improve the achievement of students on state standardized tests for accountability. Teachers, administrators, and districts need to find ways to get all students to pass standardized tests. Mathematical concepts appear throughout family and consumer science (FACS) curriculum; therefore, FACS classes have the potential to enhance students' understanding of mathematical concepts, which may increase mathematics standardized-test scores. Through the use of a quantitative methodological approach, the purpose of this study was to better understand the relationship, if any, between taking FACS classes that incorporate mathematics in the classroom and students' achievement on the Minnesota State accountability test, the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA), in mathematics. Based on the theoretical context of the importance of career and technical education courses in improving student achievement, this study answered the following research question: Will the achievement of Grade 11 students on the state accountability mathematics test be improved because students attended FACS classes that incorporate mathematics? This study examined 895 Grade 11 students' mathematics test scores from the years 2009 through 2012. Each student in the selected sample either did not pass or partially passed the mathematics assessment on the Grade 8 mathematics MCA. Those students were placed into either the category that did or did not take any FACS classes before their Grade 11 mathematics MCA. After an analysis of the mathematics MCA scores, this study failed to show reason to reject the null hypothesis: FACS classes had no significant impact on secondary students' achievement on standardized test scores in mathematics.