Microsoft Word - 376-Article Text - No Abstract-1774-1-18-20191217 jc.docx Journal of Urban Mathematics Education December 2019, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 15–18 ©JUME. https://journals.tdl.org/jume CHANCE W. LEWIS is the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 320 E. 9th Center, UNC Charlotte Center City Campus, Charlotte, NC 28202; e-mail: chance.lewis@uncc.edu. His research interests are centered around the improvement of academic achievement for students of color, particularly African American students. EDITORIAL The Decision: Do We Really Want Urban Students to Achieve in Mathematics? Chance W. Lewis University of North Carolina at Charlotte he date of July 7, 2010 will forever be etched into the memory of National Bas- ketball Association (NBA) fans. This date was the day that millions of sports fans around the world watched the highly anticipated 1-hour television special enti- tled The Decision, focused on which team LeBron James would select for the next phase of his career. When he uttered the words, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach,” the landscape of the NBA changed. Reflecting on this monumental moment almost 10 years later, I was proud of his ability to make a decision to join his colleagues/friends and pursue the ultimate prize of an NBA championship (of course, he has won 3 championships after making this decision). While this scholarly venue is not the best space to debate whether he made the right decision, the im- portant item to consider is the fact that he made a decision. As we, the new editorial team of the Journal of Urban Mathematics Education (JUME), enter a new era with this scholarly journal, I’m honored to write this edito- rial to set a vision of the urgency for the work that needs to be addressed specifically in urban mathematics education. This editorial will challenge each of us to consider if and how we are going to maximize our positions within the Academy to improve the mathematical identity and agency of urban students. I want to be crystal clear that anytime I note the terms urban students, urban education, or urban environments, I am focusing on the broader population of urban students that are the aim of the mis- sion of this journal. Because urban spaces have evolved through gentrification and other social changes, contributors to this journal have exciting opportunities to influ- ence the mathematical identity and agency that focuses not only on race but also gender, English Language Learners, and disability within the urban context of schooling. Based on my years of scholarly contributions, I do provide specific reference to Black and Brown students to raise our sense of urgency, because these are the students that have been the most underserved in key areas (Landsman & Lewis, 2011; National Center for Education Statistics, 2017; Toldson & Lewis, 2012) such as, but not limited to, the following: (1) a lack of financial resources to fully support their schooling experience; (2) increased likelihood to have either unqualified and/or T Lewis Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 12, No. 1 16 underqualified mathematics teachers; (3) limited access to higher-level mathematics classes (i.e., Calculus,); and (4) a digital divide in technological and internet access in the school, home, and community that has ultimately led to underachievement and decreased access to college and career opportunities (Toldson & Lewis, 2012). For those of us who have found entry into the “ivory tower” better known as the Academy (with all the rights and privileges of our positions), we must also make a decision about whether our work will lead to positive effects in mathematics learning in urban settings or if we are seeking just to add to our curriculum vitae for promotion within the Academy––that is a question about your legacy! When we ultimately decided to take our talents to the Academy to pursue schol- arly investigations that would make a positive difference in mathematics education, did we have urban students in mind? For those that have scholarly research agendas focused on Black and Brown students, did we make a conscious decision about ad- dressing their mathematical identity and agency in these educational environments? Remember, our answers to these questions have direct implications on the lives of these students, their career opportunities, and even national security. Given that we have made this decision to influence research, policy, and practice, we must collec- tively make sure we are not just focused on being comfortable in the Academy. Alt- hough higher education is known for bestowing many lofty titles and positions, we, the editors, are looking for contributions to JUME that truly “move the needle” for all urban students. A Reminder – Urban Education has Reached Your Neighborhood As you consider the decision you have made and/or will make regarding your research, I want to challenge you to look into your own neighborhood, at its schools and school districts, to see why your work is needed now more than ever before. Milner (2012) has eloquently noted the evolving typology of urban education (i.e., urban intensive, urban emergent, and urban characteristics). Within this context, ur- ban mathematics education is not serving students well, as can be inferred from the mathematics achievement of Black and Brown students across major urban centers in the United States (see Table 1). Table 1 illustrates the mathematics academic proficiency at Grade 4 and Grade 8 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (National Center of Education Statistics, 2017). At each of these grade levels, we see the four major categories of below basic, at basic, at proficient, and at advanced, which highlight mathematics achievement in urban mathematics education at these grade levels. Instead of “gap- gazing” (Gutiérrez, 2008; Young, Young, & Capraro, 2018), we must take a deeper look at what is occurring in urban (Tate, 2008) mathematics education in classrooms across the United States (Martin & Larnell, 2013; Stinson, 2014). Table 1 clearly documents the urgency in urban mathematics education in these major urban centers, Lewis Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 12, No. 1 17 with Detroit leading the way with 97% of Black students in Grade 4 and 95% of Hispanic students in Grade 8 not reaching proficiency in mathematics––this docu- ments the urgency of the work that is needed to increase the mathematical identity and agency of not only Black and Brown students in urban contexts but also all urban students. Although these may be the data on urban centers, the same trends hold true for the neighborhood near you. Taken holistically, I have a question to pose: What type of decision do we need to make to maximize our positions in order to make a positive difference for urban students in their mathematics identity and agency? Table 1 Percentage of Black and Hispanic Students at Each Achievement Level on NAEP Assessments at Grade 4 and Grade 8 Mathematics in 2017 for Selected Public Urban School Districts Grade 4 Grade 8 Urban District Race Below Basic At Basic At Proficient At Advanced Below Basic At Basic At Proficient At Advanced Atlanta Black 42 44 13 1 60 30 9 1 Hispanic 35 46 18 * 53 28 15 5 Baltimore Black 52 37 10 * 65 28 7 1 Hispanic 38 44 17 1 56 27 13 3 Boston Black 33 47 19 1 52 32 13 2 Hispanic 30 48 20 3 45 35 16 4 Charlotte Black 27 45 26 3 43 32 20 5 Hispanic 20 44 31 4 38 37 19 5 Chicago Black 38 43 17 2 53 36 9 2 Hispanic 27 46 24 3 36 38 21 5 Dallas Black 35 46 18 - 57 31 12 1 Hispanic 20 47 29 4 45 36 16 3 Detroit Black 73 23 3 * 53 40 7 - Hispanic 64 30 6 * 74 21 4 1 Washington, DC Black 43 38 16 2 64 27 8 1 Hispanic 30 42 23 5 50 32 13 5 Los Angeles Black 47 36 16 1 62 26 10 2 Hispanic 45 42 12 1 53 34 11 1 Miami Black 17 53 27 4 57 34 8 1 Hispanic 11 44 39 6 36 38 20 5 Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2017 Mathematics Assessment. - = not enough students to equal 1 percent * = did not meet NAEP sample requirements ** = Urban Center is defined as 1,000 or more residents per square mile Maximizing the Research Potential of JUME One critical area we must pursue if we are going to make positive change is to maximize the research potential of JUME. Because JUME is a scholarly refereed journal with a “mission to foster a transformative global academic space in mathe- matics that embraces critical research, emancipatory pedagogy, and scholarship of Lewis Editorial Journal of Urban Mathematics Education Vol. 12, No. 1 18 engagement in urban communities,” we must submit our highest quality empirical research for consideration. If we send less than our best, we demonstrate to the schol- arly community that we, the producers and consumers of research in JUME, are not fulfilling the mission of this journal. We must view JUME as a clearinghouse of high- quality research pertaining to improving mathematical identity and agency for urban students. We know the issues in urban environments have been well documented over the last 50 years; however, we are seeking contributions that fulfill our mission. Conclusion In closing, I must say that I am excited about the possibilities that JUME can provide via research. I must remind us that this scholarly journal will only be as great as we allow it to be. Now is the time for us to carry the torch to make sure we ade- quately address the urban context in our work in mathematics education. References Gutiérrez, R. (2008). A “gap-gazing” fetish in mathematics education? Problematizing research on the achievement gap. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 39(4), 357–364. Landsman, J. A., & Lewis, C. W. (Eds.). (2011). White teachers/diverse classrooms: Creating in- clusive schools, building on students’ diversity and providing true educational equity (2nd ed.). Sterling, VA: Stylus. Martin, D. B., & Larnell, G. V. (2013). Urban mathematics education. In H. R. Milner & K. Lomotey (Eds.), Handbook of urban education (pp. 373–393). New York, NY: Routledge. Milner, H. R. (2012). But what is urban education? Urban Education, 47(3), 556–561. National Center for Education Statistics. (2017). The nation’s report card: 2017 mathematics assess- ment. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Publishing Office. Stinson, D. W. (2014). Urban mathematics education. In S. Lerman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of mathemat- ics education (pp. 631–632). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. Tate, W. F. (2008). Putting the “urban” in mathematics education scholarship. Journal of Urban Math- ematics Education, 1(1), 5–9. Retrieved from https://jume-ojs-tamu.tdl.org/jume/in- dex.php/JUME/article/view/19 Toldson, I., & Lewis, C. (2012). Challenging the status quo: Academic success among school-age African American males. Washington, DC: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Young, J. L., Young, Y. R., & Capraro, R. M. (2018). Gazing past the gaps: A growth-based assess- ment of the mathematics achievement of black girls. The Urban Review, 50(1), 156–176. Copyright: © 2019 Lewis. 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