High School Coursework Research Articles

Weaving Pathways: The Role of High School Family and Consumer Sciences Courses in Cultivating a Teacher Pipeline Across the Midwest

High School Family and Consumer Science classrooms hold the potential for university and high school partnerships for teacher education pipelines. This study uses a comparative policy analysis to provide a regional resource for laws, policies, and programs within the Midwest regarding FCS classrooms and courses that are offered. Utilizing a comparative policy analysis approach, the aim is to create an opportunity for guiding current high school students toward becoming future candidates in teacher education programs by doing intentional outreach. This analysis will provide an outline of how university Teacher Education programs can partner intentionally to recruit and mentor incoming first-year college students while they are learning educational pedagogy in their high school FCS classrooms. This analysis provides a foundation for how high school FCS classrooms and university teacher education classrooms can foster cohesive and supportive mutually beneficial partnerships in the states surrounding Illinois and Indiana. Data were gathered by accessing regional education department websites and illustrating the potential opportunities for high school coursework to connect with established teacher education university programs and align pedagogically. Key findings include multiple opportunities in the Midwest for partnerships that are mutually beneficial and are easily accessible if intentional connections are made between faculty.

Transitioning to Success: The Link between E-CTE and College Preparation for Students with Learning Disabilities in the United States

In recent years, there has been a specific call to not only increase the number of engineering-trained individuals but also to address the lack of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, including individuals with disabilities. In particular, students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) make up a large portion of all students and are, therefore, a crucial population on which to focus educational and career progression efforts. One potential means of promoting persistence along the STEM pipeline—engineering specifically—is through engineering career and technical education (E-CTE) coursework in high school. Using a nationally representative dataset, we explore how E-CTE participation links to college preparation and transition activities for SWLDs, including math SAT performance, dual credit course participation, college application, and FAFSA completion. Under our more rigorous school fixed-effects models, we find that E-CTE participation is associated with beneficial results across each of our outcomes. The implications are discussed.

Do STEM Students Vote?12

Pundits, politicians, and academics have long worried about potentially low rates of civic participation among STEM-oriented students. Does studying STEM actually decrease the odds that young people will be actively involved in democracy? To answer this question, we created a dataset of over 23 million students in the United States, matched to national validated voting records. This novel dataset is the largest known individual-level dataset in the United States, connecting high school and college students to voting outcomes. It also contains a rich set of demographic and academic variables, to account for many of the common issues related to students’ selection into STEM coursework. We consider two measures of STEM participation: Advanced Placement (AP) exam taking in high school and college major. Using both measures, we find that, across model specifications, the estimated relationships between STEM and voting are small in magnitude—about the same effect size as a single get-out-the-vote mailer. Our analyses demonstrate that, on average, marginally more STEM coursework in high school and college does not contribute noticeably to the low voting rates among young people in the United States.

Does It Matter How the Rigor of High School Coursework Is Measured? Gaps in Coursework Among Students and Across Grades

AbstractResearch shows that the intensity of high school course‐taking is related to postsecondary outcomes. However, there are various approaches to measuring the intensity of students’ course‐taking. This study presents new measures of coursework intensity that rely on differing levels of quantity and quality of coursework. We used these new indices to provide a current description of variations in high school course‐taking across grades and student subgroups using a nationally representative dataset, the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Results showed that for measures emphasizing the quality of coursework the gaps in coursework among underserved students were larger and there was less upward movement in rigor across grades.

Indicators of academic readiness for college: Evaluating an advanced Spanish language program

AbstractStudents who participate in advanced coursework in high school are more likely to enroll and persist in college. This study measured college readiness indicators of high school seniors enrolled in the Utah Spanish Bridge Program and analyzed whether performance differed based on race/ethnicity or on parent college completion. Findings show that race/ethnicity played a role in inequitable distribution of college readiness indicators to a larger extent than parent college completion. Hispanic students, although enrolled in advanced coursework at a higher rate than the school overall, were still at a disadvantage compared with their White peers. Findings can inform programs to improve educational outcomes and may suggest areas for future research.

The Effects of Delivering Personalized Course Recommendations at Scale on Advanced Placement Participation and Performance

Abstract Gaps in advanced high school coursework by socioeconomic status and geography persist in the United States, even among students with the ability and access to succeed in them. Lack of information on course availability and inaccurate self-perceptions may contribute to these inequities. We report on a large-scale experiment designed to increase Advanced Placement (AP) participation among underrepresented minority students and students attending rural high schools. Students and parents assigned to treatment received personalized outreach via multiple communication channels about AP classes offered at their high school in which they demonstrated potential to succeed. Outreach increased the probability of AP Exam participation in subjects in which students demonstrated potential to succeed by 1.1 percentage points, a 2.5 percent increase over the control group rate. This, in turn, increased the probability that students scored 3 or higher on those AP Exams by 0.5 percentage point, a 1.4 percent increase over the control group rate. Intervention effects were concentrated among underrepresented minority students attending nonrural schools and relatively less academically prepared students. The findings indicate that personalized course recommendations can increase equity in advanced high school course participation; however, designing outreach campaigns at scale that engage students is a crucial challenge to their efficacy.

Front-loading STEM enrichment to prepare learners for STEM pathways.

In this article, we describe a collaboration between a university and school district aimed at preparing more students who are typically underidentified and underserved in gifted programs for advanced STEM coursework in high school. Features of the collaboration included early intervention, significant outside-of-school programming and coursework in STEM through elementary and middle school (over 400 h), tutoring, and support for families. Data included scores on two standardized achievement tests for 14 cohorts of students who self-identified as African American and/or Hispanic (361 total students) as they progressed from Grade 3 to Grade 8, placement in accelerated mathematics courses in Grade 9, and college matriculation. Comparisons were made to data for comparable demographic groups within the school district. Results showed greater growth in reading and mathematics compared to demographic peers in the district reaching achievement levels comparable to the highest-scoring students in the district. There were significant increases in the percentage of students entering high school with advanced placement in mathematics as well as improvement over multiple cohorts in matriculation at more selective institutions of higher education. Results are discussed with respect to best practices for the identification of students with potential STEM talent, effective university-school partnerships, and STEM-talent development pathways.

Early High School Graduation: Policy Support for Secondary Acceleration

In recent years, state and local support for academic acceleration has created opportunities for students with advanced learning needs to move through their education at a pace that matches their abilities and may be faster than their same-age peers. As a result, it is not uncommon for exceptionally bright students to complete their high school graduation requirements early. These students have the option to stay in high school and complete additional coursework or move on to postsecondary settings to continue their academic talent development. This article explores state and local policies on early graduation and highlights supportive policies and potential barriers to this type of acceleration.

The predictive validity of entrance scores and short-term performance for long-term success in engineering education

PurposeThis study examined predictors of cumulative grade point average (GPA) from entrance scores and successive performance during students' academic work in university engineering programs.Design/methodology/approachScores from high school coursework, the General Ability Test and the Achievement Test were examined to determine if these factors and annual successive GPAs were predictors of long-term GPA. The sample consisted of 2,031 students registered in university engineering programs during the 2013–2019 period.FindingsCorrelations were significant between entrance scores and the preparatory year GPA but not with cumulative GPA. Also, correlations were significant between year-1 GPA to year-3 GPA and the graduation GPA. Adjacent year GPA is the better predictor of later GPA. More importantly, GPA at the time of graduation is well predicted by GPAs throughout years of study within engineering programs after controlling for entrance scores. Girls outperform boys in their entrance scores and GPAs. Hence, girls are likely to obtain higher cumulative GPAs.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications of the study findings could help university faculty and administrators to understand the role of current entrance scores in predicting academic achievement of engineering students. In addition, the results could serve as a foundation to review weights of entrance scores for future developments and revisions. The findings of the study are limited to admission data for engineering students during the 2013–2019 period. Other disciplines may show a different pattern of relationships among the studied variables.Practical implicationsThe study findings have useful practical implications for admitting and monitoring student progress at engineering education programs. Results may help program curriculum development specialists and committees in designing admission criteria.Social implicationsAdministrators and faculty members are advised to consider entrance scores when providing counseling and monitoring throughout students' program-year progress. More attention should be devoted to university performance when interest is focused on later or graduation CGPA, with less emphasis on entrance scores.Originality/valueThe existed previous studies explored factors that influence the student performance in engineering programs. This study documents the role of admission criteria and successive GPAs in predicting the student graduation CGPA in engineering programs. Relationships between factors are crucial for engineering program revisions and policymaking.

The Effects of Delivering Personalized Course Recommendations at Scale on AP Exam Participation and Performance

Gaps in advanced high school coursework by socioeconomic status and geography continue to persist in the United States, even among students who have the ability and access to succeed in them. Lack of information on course availability and inaccurate self-perceptions may contribute to the persistence of these inequities. We report on a low-cost, large scale experiment designed to increase Advanced Placement (AP) participation among two groups of students with historically low participation rates: underrepresented minority students and students attending rural high schools. Students and parents assigned to treatment received personalized outreach via multiple communication channels about APs offered at their high school in which they demonstrated potential to succeed. Outreach increased the probability of AP Exam participation in subjects in which students demonstrated potential to succeed by 1.1 percentage points, a 2.5 percent increase over the control group participation rate. This, in turn, increased the probability that students scored 3 or higher on those AP Exams by 0.5 percentage points, a 1.4 percent increase over the control group rate. Intervention effects were concentrated among underrepresented minority students attending non-rural schools and relatively less academically prepared students. These findings indicate that personalized course recommendations can increase equity in advanced high school course participation, although the design of outreach campaigns at scale that engage students deeply is a crucial challenge to their efficacy.

Following in their Footsteps: the Relationship Between Parent STEM Occupation and Student STEM Coursetaking in High School

Encouraging persistence, success, and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study continues to be a point of emphasis across the United States. While there does exist a body of research exploring STEM education and STEM learning, less is understood about the informal factors that may encourage STEM pursuit. In particular, parents can play a critical role in influencing their children to pursue STEM. High school is a key period in the development and promotion of science capital. Therefore, we explore how parent employment in STEM occupations relates to student decisions to participate in both applied and academic STEM coursework in high school. We find that parent STEM occupation does matter, and that the impact is linked to the number of parents in a STEM occupation as well as income level of the family. Our findings provide evidence for the growing theory focusing on the growth of science capital among individuals and how this form of capital may be passed from parent to child. Policy and practice implications are discussed.

Motivational Beliefs and Self-Perceptions of Undergraduates with Learning Disabilities: Using the Expectancy-Value Model to Investigate College-Going Trajectories

This qualitative study examined the role and determinants of motivational beliefs and self-perceptions among six academically successful undergraduates with learning disabilities at private 4-year colleges who serve as mentors for middle-school students with similar learning challenges. Drawing on the expectancy-value theory of achievement-related decisions as a framework for understanding academic trajectories, themes focus on a) participants’ social and cultural milieus, b) socializers’ beliefs and behaviors, c) disability-related experiences, and d) individual goals and self-schemata. Findings countered expectations that sociocultural influences would hinder students’ expectations for success and the importance they place on college education. Instead, protective factors including participation in rigorous high school coursework, high parental expectations, and membership in a learning disability community supported the decision to pursue and persist in post-secondary education.Subscribe to LDMJ

Addressing Quantitative and Qualitative Hypotheses Using Regression Models with Equality Restrictions and Predictors Measured in Common Units

In regression, some or all of the predictors may be measured in common units: e.g. X 1 = carbohydrate calories, X2 = protein calories, X3 = fat calories. Such predictors can occur in disciplines as diverse as business, economics, education, medicine, nutrition, psychology, sport science, etc. Predictors in common units can lead to unique quantitative and qualitative hypotheses that can be addressed by imposing equality restrictions on the regression weights (e.g. ). A simple device, total score substitution, is available for constraining regression coefficients to be equal in a variety of regression applications. Applications to linear, moderated linear, and polynomial models are described, but extensions to generalized linear models and multilevel linear models are also possible. Total score substitution in linear and moderated regression is illustrated using high school coursework and mathematics achievement data. Data, code (R, SPSS, SAS), and output are publicly available.

Effects of Prior Anatomy Coursework on Assessment Performance and Study Habits

Students entering health science fields often take multiple human anatomy courses throughout their education, including settings such as high school, community colleges/technical schools, and 4‐year undergraduate universities. Additionally, it is not uncommon for students to retake a human anatomy course during their undergraduate careers if they are not satisfied with their initial performance. While research has shown that final grade performance improves for those retaking the same undergraduate course, it is unclear whether previous anatomy coursework in high school, community college, or other undergraduate university settings confers the same advantage on course performance or influences study methods employed in the course. In other words, students who have had experience in anatomical coursework may have developed effective study approaches before taking a more advanced anatomy course. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of previous human anatomy coursework on lecture and lab exam performance and study habits in an undergraduate human anatomy course at a large state university in Tennessee for the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 academic years (N = 442).The course enrollment consists of nursing, kinesiology, or pre‐professional undergraduate majors, of which more than half (53%) are sophomores, and the remainder juniors (17.5%) and seniors (29.5%). We collected data from students at midterm through an anonymous survey. Students self‐reported their performance on assessments for the first major examination in the course, which has a written lecture component and a practical lab component. The survey also included questions about previous anatomy coursework, prior enrollment in the current course, study habits through a range of modalities, and use of extracurricular resources. We performed nonparametric Kruskal‐Wallis tests to examine the relationship between prior anatomy experience and performance on initial lecture and lab assessments, as well as study methods. Results indicate that no significant difference in first lecture or lab assessment performance is associated with prior anatomy coursework, regardless of prior course setting (high school versus college). Additionally, prior coursework in anatomy is not associated with a significant difference in when students began studying for their first lecture/lab assessments. There is a trend for students with prior coursework in anatomy to perform slightly better on assessments than those who had not. In addition, preliminary analysis of study modalities shows that students with prior anatomical experience do not engage in study methods different from those who have not taken an anatomy course before.

Then and Now: Depicting a Changing National Profle of STEM Career and Technical Education Course Takers

BackgroundAfter nearly a century of federal policies focusing on career-related high school coursework, a 2006 policy reauthorization especially called for increased rigor in STEM-themed career and technical education (CTE) courses and increased participation from all students, and particularly women and those with disabilities. We explore whether this reauthorization helped meet these calls for increased participation.Research QuestionsWe asked the following research questions in exploring the implementation of the Perkins IV act: (1) How have the predictors of participation in AS-CTE coursework changed during the decade between 2004 and 2013? (2) Were students in the class of 2013 more likely to participate in AS-CTE than those in the class of 2004? (3) Is there a specific difference in AS-CTE participation for female students and students with disabilities in the class of 2013 as compared to the class of 2004?Research DesignTo respond to these questions, we merged two nationally representative datasets—the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) and the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:2009). We employed basic logistic regression to explore changes in participation and ordinary least squares regression to explore changes in credit accumulation. We also utilized double hurdle and state fixed-effects models to account for various potential biases.ResultsWe found that there were slight changes in predictors of applied STEM CTE course-taking, though female students remained significantly less likely than male students to participate in each cohort. Exploring across cohorts, we found students in the later cohort (HSLS:2009) to be both more likely to participate in applied STEM CTE and more likely to complete more units. Finally, when exploring female students and students with IEPs, we found that these students were more likely to participate in applied STEM CTE, but were not more likely to complete more units.ConclusionsA first implication from these findings is that it appears the national efforts and sentiments around increasing high schoolers’ participation in CTE course-taking have taken hold. Second, it appears there may be a specific role for states as they look to grow participation in applied STEM CTE—and CTE in general. Finally, additional focus needs to be placed on increasing CTE participation for underrepresented students.

Strategies for Successful College Transitions for High School Students in Urban Schools

Students in the U.S. are underachieving in math and reading, which negatively affects transitions to postsecondary education (NAEP, 2015). Research shows that students exposure to college coursework in high school can increase academic outcomes for students and lead to successful transitions to college. However, many studies promote the use of early college programs that foster college readiness, without considering schools that may not be equipped to provide those opportunities for students. This article offers insight about the lack of college readiness for students, specifically students that attend urban schools, and the role that high schools play in combating these limitations. This article concludes with recommendations on ways to creatively immerse students from urban schools with college experiences.

What Boosts Talent Development? Examining Predictors of Academic Growth in Secondary School Among Academically Advanced Youth Across 21 Years

We examined 482,418 students who took the ACT in the seventh grade and again in high school, taking an exploratory analytic approach to examine academic growth trends from 1996 to 2017. Predictors included sociodemographics, interests, high school (HS) characteristics, HS coursework and GPA, and extracurriculars, which explained 25% of the variance in academic growth. Overall, growth improved from 2005 to 2017, but growth for low-income and Hispanic students was stagnant. Catholic and private school students had the highest growth; homeschooled and high-poverty public school students had the lowest. High growth was associated with STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) elective HS courses and advanced AP, accelerated, and honors courses. Students with investigative and conventional interests had higher growth. Some extracurriculars had significant relationships with academic growth, though the effects were small.

Adapting a Core-Idea Centered Undergraduate General Chemistry Curriculum for Use in High School

Connecting the behavior of invisible (to the naked eye) particles governed by the principles of quantum mechanics to the world we can see and touch requires a host of inferences, almost none of which can be extrapolated from experience. Molecular-level sensemaking thus relies upon intellectual resources that must be developed in large part by formal learning environments. Over a decade of research at the college-level indicates that centering instruction around scaffolded progressions of core ideas can help students cultivate, organize, and use their disciplinary knowledge to explain and model a range of phenomena. Informed by this literature, we have adapted a core-idea centered, evidence-based undergraduate general chemistry curriculum for use in high school. Our adaptation process, which was a collaborative effort between researchers and classroom teachers, is described in detail with emphasis on alignment between the Next Generation Science Standards and our materials. Efforts reported here represent a first-in-class model for high school curriculum development wherein conceptual progressions developed and validated at the college level form the basis for high school coursework.

High School All Over Again: The Problem of Redundant College Mathematics

ABSTRACTUsing linked high school and college records for a national sample of students, I document the first college math courses that students take and examine how they compare with high school coursework. Detailed 12th-grade math assessment data and variation in college math course-taking allow me to estimate the extent of redundant college math experiences, when students who were identified as being able to pass a higher-level course instead took a lower-level course that they had already completed in high school. I show how redundant math is a distinct experience from college math remediation and how many students in remediation are actually in redundant courses. I also inspect patterns of math redundancy among the college-going population. Roughly one-fifth of college students take math that is redundant and likely unnecessary. This is more commonly the experience of students attending public colleges, female students, and students from lower-SES backgrounds. About 40% of students beginning college in remedial math courses do so in a redundant math course.

High School Epidemiology: Helping Students Practice Science Through Guided Inquiry and Authentic Learning Strategies

A call has been made over the last decade for the expansion of epidemiology coursework into high schools in the United States. Epidemiology instruction has been shown to increase student scientific and health literacy, promote critical thinking skills, enhance students’ perception of public health as both practical and relevant, and empower students as independent, lifelong learners. Epidemiology is also a flexible science with relevance to students from diverse backgrounds, skill levels, and interests. While there has been tremendous growth in undergraduate public health education, we have yet to witness the mainstream adoption of epidemiology into high school coursework. In this article, I propose the formal integration of epidemiology into high school curricula to help students practice science as it relates to public health. I posit that epidemiology is a flexible science discipline with real-world significance to students from diverse backgrounds, skill levels, and interests. Also, teaching epidemiology through guided inquiry and authentic learning strategies can intrinsically motivate and empower students to address health-related problems in their local communities. Moreover, epidemiology instruction at the high school level can meet student learning needs, teacher instructional objectives, administrative mandates, and community interests. In essence, epidemiology instruction at the high school level can hone fundamental skills in preparation for health and science careers and promote important public health awareness and interest among adolescents.