Parent poll of kids' progress in math reveals disparity in access across Massachusetts

Parents’ confidence in their child’s math progression varies based on household socioeconomic level, according to a new poll released by the education policy nonprofit EdTrust and the MassInc Polling Group.

Just under half of low-income adults, or those who earn less than $50,000 a year, say their child is “doing well” in math compared with nearly two-thirds of parents who earn incomes above $100,000, according to the statewide poll.

The poll, conducted late last year, surveyed roughly 1,500 Massachusetts parents with children in kindergarten through 12th grade. It marks the latest in a series of parental surveys conducted since the pandemic. It examines parents’ perceptions of their child's math attainment at a time when average math scores among fourth and eighth graders across the country dipped lower than it had in two decades, based on the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.

About half of parents surveyed said their child is "doing well" in math. But parents of children in grades five to eight, parents of kids with dyslexia and those of children considered “multilingual learners” were more likely to express concern over their child’s math progress, according to the results.

Researchers say the findings reveal “troubling disparities in access to rigorous math opportunities” and a stark divide between underserved communities and more resourced households.

Low-income parents were less likely to report their child's school offered AP math courses or that their child had taken algebra — a course that is considered a crucial milestone on the path to college readiness — by the eighth grade. They were also less likely to seek outside math support for their child compared with parents who earn $75,000 or more a year.

Jennie Williamson, state director of EdTrust in Massachusetts, said this disparity presents a problem for families and the broader economy.

"Low income students, on average, are not performing as well as their higher income peers,” she said in an interview. “We know that math skills are really linked to long term academic and economic success.”

As jobs in technology, math and science become increasingly in demand, schools must adequately prepare students to fill those roles, she added.

But only about a third of low-income parents said their child was interested in a career in STEM fields, compared to roughly half of high-earning parents.

The underlying issue is a question of access, Williamson said.

Large opportunity gaps separate children from low-income and high-income households, according to a 2024 study published by the American Educational Research Association. Children from low-income families have "dramatically fewer" opportunities than their higher income peers, and these disparities accumulate.

It's a different story for families who earn more.

“Parents of higher levels of education and income are better equipped to support their child's learning, whether that's through seeking outside help … or simply having the means to send their child to a better resourced school district,” Williamson said.

Parenting on a limited budget can feel like an uphill battle, according to Dorchester resident Caroline Ruiz who participated in the latest poll.

“I know that there's children that have better opportunities,” said Ruiz, a single mom of three who makes less than $50,000 a year.

Ruiz said her eldest son, Ezequiel, who is in fifth grade, is doing well in math. But she chalks that up to the fact that she moved him from public school into a charter school after the second grade.

“His math is a lot more challenging,” Ruiz said. “It looks a lot more complex, to the point where I'm not even really able to help him.”

But she said she doesn't have the money to hire a tutor.

“These things are not free, you know, and they're not accessible to us,” Ruiz said.

For Ezequiel, the goal is to play in the NBA when he grows up, Ruiz said. But he's still young, she added. If that doesn't pan out, he hasn't crossed a career in STEM off the list.