Macalester College

The study found that math achievement for students with disabilities did significantly improve over time, though not to the same extent demonstrated by students without disabilities. They also found that the level of improvement differed, leading to significant achievement gaps when students’ math ability scores were compared within each of the following groups:
- Disability status
- Gender
- Race-ethnicity
- Socioeconomic status (SES)

Math Growth Trajectory Results

Wei, X., Lenz, K. B., & Blackorby, J. (2013). Math growth trajectories of students with disabilities: Disability category, gender, racial, and socioeconomic status differences from ages 7 to 17. Remedial and Special Education, 34(3), 154–165. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932512448253

Math Growth Trajectories of Students With Disabilities: Disability Category, Gender, Racial, and Socioeconomic Status Differences From Ages 7 to 17

Growth Trajectories in Math Applied Problems by Disability Category

Growth Trajectories in Math Calculation by Disability Category

- On average, students in all disability categories except speech impairments, emotional disturbances, and visual impairments performed significantly worse than students in the learning disabilities category.
- Students with disabilities showed a significantly slower rate of math growth
- The following disabilities groups showed significantly lower calculation scores than students with disabilities: intellectual disability, autism, traumatic brain injury, multiple disabilities
- Students with speech impairments showed significantly higher calculation scores than students with learning disabilities.

Disability Status and Math Growth Trajectory Results

- Boys scored significantly higher on both measures.
- There was no significant difference in the rate of growth for both genders, which suggests that achievement gaps for students with disabilities persisted throughout the age groups in the study.

Gender and Math Growth Trajectory Results

- No significant difference in the slope and acceleration for white and black students, indicating that the white-black achievement gap did not change over time.
- Math growth for hispanic students was slower and decelerated faster than their white counterparts, indicating that the achievement gap between those groups grew over time. 

Race and Math Growth Trajectory Results

- Father’s education level was related to an accelerated rate of improvement in calculation, but not to average calculation scores. 

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