The Center for the Mathematics Education of Latinos/as (CEMELA) addresses the mathematics education needs of the largest and most rapidly growing minority group in the country, a diverse group that has one of the most disturbing patterns of academic achievement. Given the unique language, social and cultural factors associated with working-class/low-income Latino/as students and communities, a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to address their education. Although there are well-established scholars who focus on the education of Latinos, their research is in the areas of policy, language and culture, not primarily in mathematics education. Few mathematics education scholars have multidisciplinary expertise in the particular areas relevant to the learning of mathematics by Latinos/as.
The goal of the Center for the Mathematics Education of Latinos/as is to advance the field of mathematics education by:
(A) Developing an integrated model that connects mathematics teaching and learning to the cultural, social, and linguistic contexts of Latino/as students and (B) Increasing the number of mathematics educators and teachers with this integrated knowledge to ultimately improve the mathematics education of Latinos/as, particularly those of low-income backgrounds.
This goal will be achieved by the collaboration of experts in mathematics education, mathematics and language and culture in education. CEMELA brings together in Arizona, The University of Arizona, Sunnyside Unified School District and Tucson Unified School District; in Illinois, The University of Illinois at Chicago and Chicago Public Schools; in California, The University of California at Santa Cruz, North Monterey County School District and Pajaro Unified School District; and in New Mexico, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Public Schools, Socorro Consolidated Schools, and The Bernalillo Public Schools. Intentionally, the Center represents diverse geographical contexts -- borderlands (UA), urban (UIC), rural (agricultural/migrant) (UCSC) and rural/urban (UNM) -- to adequately capture the corresponding diversity of educational and cultural experiences among Latinos/as.
