The questions guiding this research seek to discover the factors that affect high school math course completion and college readiness in a Texas suburban public school district. The first research question examines the relationship between 8th grade completion of Algebra I and high school mathematics course taking patterns and college readiness. The second question evaluates the relationship between race, gender, socioeconomic status and enrollment in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program to college math readiness and high school mathematics course completion. Participants included 841 high school graduates of the class of 2006; 76% of the graduates were White, 15% Hispanic and 7% African American. Twenty-three percent of students were economically disadvantaged and 46% of students completed Algebra I in 8th grade. Chi-square, Cramer's V, and multiple regression were conducted to evaluate possible relationships between variables. The Chi-square and Cramer's V showed statistically significant (p<.05) relationships between 8th grade algebra completion and both college readiness and high school math course completion. A significant statistical relationship was also found between college readiness and each of the independent variables, ethnicity, economic status, completion of 8th grade algebra and enrollment in AVID. The number of math courses completed in high school was statistically related to ethnicity and economic status.. The findings of this study indicate that early access to Algebra I can positively affect the number of high school math courses a student completes and the likelihood that the student will be college ready after high school graduation.

The purpose of this study was to delve into the emerging awareness of the social factors that contribute to the teaching and learning of mathematics by documenting the experiences of Math Literacy Workers in the Young People’s Project, as it formed its Los Angeles Chapter. Twelve high school students, three college students and one program coordinator participated in this research study. This research study focused on a series of math literacy workshops conducted as part of an after-school program at Roosevelt Elementary School. Built upon the legacy of the Mississippi Freedom Riders, the Young People’s Project has developed an engaging program that allows participants to take direct action in transforming their communities. The design of a pedagogy rooted in the tenants of civil rights, youth leadership, civic engagement, criticalmathliteracy, situated learning theory, cultural relevance, peer-to-peer education, social empowerment, grassroots leadership, and community organizing, enabled participants to develop their identity as agents of social change. This research examined the capacity of critical literacy and the methodologies used to promote math literacy and youth leadership as aspects of the Math Literacy Workers training program. The Math Literacy Workers training program positively impacted youth participants’ math literacy, problem solving, academic achievement, communication, organizing skills, leadership capacity, self-confidence, civic engagement, critical literacy, and self-identity. Participants described how the program allowed them to achieve praxis, through continuously reflecting on their identities and the social significance of their experiences as they took direct action as facilitators of the math literacy workshops at Roosevelt Elementary School.

The thesis deals with the issues that are tied with reading and mathematical literacy. The literacy is being considered by solved exrcises at the second grade of elementary school. The purpose of this work is to bring nearer the connectedness between reading literacy and other subjects - in this case mainly math. The work is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the theory, in which there is outline of the description of reading and mathematical literacy, verbal exercises and what is the function of working sheets. The second part is practical. There are put created working sheets with chosen topics from math, which were given to the pupils at the elementary school. The cooperation with pupils wihtin filling the working sheets can be also found in this thesis. The analysis of this literacy and processes of solving are attached in the end.