Jean Anyon, Professor of Urban Education at The Graduate Center, is head of two unique projects aimed at improving mathematics education in inner city schools. One will organize parents and other community members in low income neighborhoods to help reform mathematics education in their schools. "Most New York City schools in low-income communities, for example, do not offer the mathematics courses necessary for competing for entrance to the special high schools like Stuyvesant," Professor Anyon said. "Most high schools in New York City that low-income black and Latino students attend don't offer any advanced math courses. The lack of these gate-keeper courses closes doors, and we will organize parents to help combat this situation." The other project will identify aspects applicable to mathematics of the "cultural capital" that low-income minority students bring to school. "Students and families in low-income black and Latino neighborhoods have experiences, knowledge, and skills that teachers and schools do not identify or valorize in teaching and curriculum development, but that would be extremely useful," Anyon explained. "The grant will fund researchers who will identify aspects of cultural capital of students and other community members, and will prepare math teachers and mathematics leaders to incorporate these into school curriculum and pedagogy."
Both projects form part of the activities of a consortium that received $10 million grant from the NSF to promote mathematics education: "Metro Math: The Center for Mathematics in Americas Cities." Metro Math brings together in a multi-disciplinary partnership The Graduate Center, Rutgers--the State University of New Jersey, the University of Pennsylvania, and the school districts of New York City, Philadelphia, Newark, and Plainfield. Encompassing a diverse faculty with specialties in mathematics, mathematics education, cognitive science, psychology, educational policy, urban studies, and urban education, the partnership will focus on improving the urban student's understanding of mathematics through providing urban teachers with successful instructional strategies, developing leadership for implementing appropriate improvements, enlisting community participation--parents, churches, and civic associations--in the support of mathematics education and in advocating for strong schools in their communities, and developing a research-based framework for successful mathematics education in America's cities.