Making Math Add up for Students Receiving Special Education

Overview & Synopsis

This article draws attention to the discrepancy between how math is taught in special education and general education classrooms, the consequences of this discrepancy, and how teachers can teach higher order math concepts to a wide range of learners, including students with moderate special needs, using empowerment math principles. Students assigned to special education are often taught a different kind of math from general education students, preventing them from practicing critical thinking skills and developing higher order thinking related to math concepts. The authors developed empowerment math based on years of teaching math to a diverse group of learners. The Nine plus One principles of empowerment math guide teachers to practices that promote inclusion and accessibility for a wide range of learners. The authors contend that too many students with moderate special education needs are being denied access to the STEM field, notably many students of color, when they are denied access to advanced level math education. Empowerment math could be used to remedy this discrepancy.