School Mathematics and African American Students: Thinking Seriously about Opportunity-to-Learn Standards

The author draws on tenets of critical race theory to investigate the political and conceptual underpinnings of opportunity-to-learn standards. More specifically, he examines the potential influence of opportunity-to-learn standards on the mathematics education of African American students. Four questions are raised and discussed related to the adequacy of opportunity-to-learn standards as a framework for improving the mathematics performance of African American students. The author concludes that opportunity-to-learn standards should be built on (a) the rapid growth and changes in mathematics; (b) constructivist principles of learning; (c) the concept of fiscal adequacy; and (d) cultural factors that influence mathematics learning.