Achievement gaps and correlates of early mathematics achievement: Evidence from the ECLS K-first grade sample

Abstract

In light of the NCLB Act of 2001, this study estimates mathematics achievement gaps in different subgroups of kindergartners and first graders, and identifies child- and school-level correlates of early mathematics achievement. A subset of 2300 students nested in 182 schools from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study K-First Grade longitudinal data set were analyzed with hierarchical linear models. Relative to school mean estimates in kindergarten, significant mathematics achievement gaps were found in Hispanics, African Americans and high poverty students; while significant Grade 1 mathematics gaps were found in African American, high poverty, and female subgroups, but not in Hispanics. Significant school-level correlates were class size (with a small negative main effect), at-home reading time by parents (with a large positive main effect) and school size (with a small positive main effect). Significant cross-level interactions in Grade 1 indicated that schools with larger class sizes had a small negative effect on African American children's math scores; schools giving more instructional time to reading and math had a positive effect on high poverty students' scores, and schools with higher elementary teacher certification rates had a positive effect on boys' mathematics achievement.