Jaime Escalante: Teaching Beliefs and Strategies in Stand and Deliver

Introduction: Mathematics Achievement and Escalante's Vision

The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008) presents a three-pronged argument for effective math curricula: (1) it must foster the successful mathematical performance of students in algebra and beyond; (2) it must be taught by experienced teachers who employ research-based instructional strategies; and (3) the instruction of the math curriculum must accomplish the "mutually reinforcing benefits of conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and automatic recall of facts" (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008, p. xiv). Jamie Escalante began teaching before this report was released, but he knew from experience — and instinct — that students who do not achieve mastery of foundational mathematical concepts will face unforgiving, perhaps harsh, consequences in their lives (Woo, 2010).

The film Stand and Deliver (Menendez & Musca, 1988) is based on the true story of Jaime Escalante, an individual who overcame ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic obstacles to become a highly successful mathematics teacher. This paper examines the beliefs he held and the strategies he employed in his classroom that contributed to high achievement levels among his students.

Frontrunner Excellence: Curriculum Depth and Instructional Debate

A report published in 2006 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics made recommendations for math curriculum that are currently being implemented in a majority of U.S. states as the Common Core State Standards. One recommendation has been particularly influential and is pivotal to curriculum, instruction, and assessment aligned with the Common Core: math curriculum and instruction should cover fewer topics at greater depth. Best practices in mathematics instruction have established the need to ensure students have sufficient time to learn concepts deeply so that they can build on that learning in subsequent grades and so that redundancy does not need to be built into grade-level curriculum and instruction. Rather, math curricula are designed to ensure continuity across grade-level instruction, with deep instruction provided at each grade. This successful approach has been adopted by a majority of nations where students are top performers in mathematics.

An important outcome of these comprehensive reports on mathematics instruction in the U.S. is the recommendation that the longstanding debate over which of two primary methods of math instruction is superior be laid to rest. For decades, there has been an ongoing argument about teacher-directed versus student-centered instruction. The fundamental difference between the two approaches is based on how much freedom students have to explore mathematical concepts (Barley et al., 2002). In the traditional instructional approach, students are shown how to solve problems, complete multiple drill exercises, and take tests that do not vary from the formulaic approach to problem solving. The reports conclude that both approaches have merit, and that, according to the chairman of the panel, Dr. Larry Faulkner, "There is no basis in research for favoring teacher-based or student-centered instruction. People may retain their strongly held philosophical inclinations, but the research does not show that either is better than the other."

Escalante understood the relationship between motivation and success — for his students and for the teachers in the math department (Marzell, 2012). He was clearly an outlier with respect to his peers and was prone to making statements at departmental meetings such as, "Students will rise to the level of expectations you are holding them." Comments like this did not endear Escalante to the other teachers in the school, nor did it help when he cut precisely to the core of a situation. When asked by the school principal what the school needed to be successful and accomplish their accreditation audit, Escalante said plainly that, "All we need is ganas" — Spanish for desire and drive.

Research-Based Instruction in Escalante's Classroom

Several meta-analyses of instructional strategies have led researchers to identify four approaches that support solid performance in mathematics (Swanson, 2009; Witzel et al., 2003). These approaches include: (1) systematic and explicit instruction; (2) self-instruction; (3) peer tutoring; and (4) visual representation. Of these, Jaime Escalante appeared to favor and use all but peer tutoring, which makes sense given the limited opportunity his students would have had to engage in that manner. Escalante's students lived in barrios and attended schools that created disadvantage rather than support.

Observing the mathematics instruction given by Escalante in Stand and Deliver, it is apparent that he employed a number of strategies that have since become recognized best practices (Steedly et al., 2008, 2012). Escalante provided systematic and explicit instruction through a step-by-step approach that took his students methodically through a specific instructional sequence. He used rote repetition to help students achieve mastery of basic mathematical rules — for example: "A negative times a negative equals a positive." Escalante explicitly and systematically taught his students to apply certain strategies that would help them master advanced mathematical concepts.

Escalante's high standards and continual pressure on his students to perform at their highest levels provided a foundation from which students managed their own learning during homework sessions and during summer and after-school sessions. The power of effective visual representation was not lost on Escalante; he instinctively understood the value of using this strategy to teach mathematical concepts (Berkas & Pattison, 2007). Escalante used manipulatives and visualization to help students grasp abstract concepts. A memorable example is his lesson on the concept of zero, in which he encouraged students to picture what happens when they dig a hole in the sand and then fill it back up again.

Conclusion

Before he immigrated to the United States, Escalante had been a professor of physics and mathematics for over a decade in Bolivia. As is typical with many immigrants, it was not possible for Escalante to step directly into a teaching role upon arriving in the U.S.; he essentially had to navigate a seemingly endless series of obstacles before he could once again employ his remarkable talent as a teacher. He worked odd jobs — including washing dishes in a restaurant — earned a degree at an American college, and taught himself English. Escalante therefore knew well the value of education, and he felt a deep affinity with the young students from the East Los Angeles barrios.

He pushed his students nearly as hard as he pushed himself because he could clearly see the difference a quality education would make in their lives. Escalante "walked the talk" as few other teachers have; because of this, he experienced the kind of peer resentment that often accompanies superior accomplishment within a group. He was said to have frequently asserted that both students and teachers had to work hard to reach high standards. Unfortunately, other educators did not welcome the legacy that Escalante created, choosing instead to focus on being merely adequate — in effect, sentencing their students to a lifetime of sub-ordinary opportunity.

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