Making meaning: Successful mathematics teaching practices with students in high poverty schools

This survey study examined reported mathematics teaching practices among a selected group of fourth grade teachers in New York State. A model, Meaningful Mathematics Instruction (MMI), hypothesized that a survey of specific teaching practices and curriculum contexts would situate teachers into groups associated with greater or lesser student success. A sample of fourth grade teachers (n=58) from New York State was recruited based on: (1) greater than 70% school poverty (measured by free lunch) and (2) significant overachievement or underachievement in mathematics. Analysis of these data included item analysis, cluster analysis, exploratory factor analysis, regression, and discriminant function analysis. Potential implications of the findings for teaching practice and curriculum implementation were explored.