Download or read book A Mixed methods Study of High School Students Advanced Placement Enrollment Decisions written by Jason Burns and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Advanced Placement (AP) program is often touted as an opportunity for academically talented high school students to be exposed to a rigorous, college-level classroom setting. Components of the AP program include a range of courses and corresponding standardized assessments. According to the College Board, which administers the AP program, students who take AP courses have an opportunity to gain advanced knowledge and skills, to improve the quality of their college applications, and earn college credits (College Board, 2017b). Based on this reputation, AP participation has increased dramatically in recent years. In the spring of 2017, over 2.7 million students took an Advanced Placement (AP) exam, a more than three-fold increase over the spring of 2001 (College Board, 2017a). While AP enrollment has expanded dramatically, AP participation varies significantly across student groups. Relative to White students, Hispanic students are approximately 25% less likely to participate in the AP program and Black students are just half as likely. Low-income students, compared to their non-economically disadvantaged peers, are over sixty percent less likely to be an AP student (Theokas & Saaris, 2013). These patterns have led to calls to increase AP participation, especially amongst students from disadvantaged groups. Some, however, have expressed concerns that expanding AP enrollment without considering students' ability may set some up for failure (Finn & Winkler, 2011). Because high school students typically have significant agency in the courses they take, I argue that understanding AP participation requires an understanding of students' decision-making around whether to take an AP course. In this dissertation, I investigate students' AP enrollment decisions by answering the following research questions: 1) What are the patterns in AP enrollment for the overall student population and for the sub-population of academically talented students?; 2) How do student characteristics vary by AP enrollment status?; 3) What student-level factors or characteristics predict enrollment in AP classes?; and 4) How do perceptions of AP classes and students vary across student groups? To answer these research questions, I use the conceptual frameworks of judgment and decision-making, social-emotional skills, and identity in a mixed-methods explanatory case study of two high schools in Michigan that includes student-level administrative data (n = 16,939 student-year observations), student surveys (n = 389), and student interviews (n = 19) in 2018. Results show: (1) disadvantaged students participate in AP at lower rates, but that the size of the participation gap is sensitive to how AP participation is defined, and that many academically talented students do not take an AP class; (2) students who enroll in AP classes are, compared to their peers, less diverse, higher-achieving, wealthier, have more developed social-emotional skills, a stronger academic identity, and make decisions more deliberatively; (3) achievement is the strongest and most reliable predictor of AP enrollment, though constructs related to identity, social-emotional skills, and decision-making tendencies also appear to be related to enrollment; and (4) students generally perceive AP classes as difficult and AP students as academically talented, students of color are acutely aware of the lack of diversity in AP classes, and some students link their course selections to their future. I interpret these findings using the conceptual frameworks employed in this study and develop a conceptual model of students' AP enrollment decisions. Implications for researchers, educators, and policymakers are discussed.

Download or read book A Comparative Study of High School Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment Programs Using a Mixed Methods Analysis written by Katrina A. Haley and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Impact of High School Advanced Placement Course Participation on College Enrollment Among Would Be First Generation College Students written by Chelsea Goodly and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the number of would-be first-generation college students increases in high schools across the United States, policymakers must look for more ways to increase rates of postsecondary enrollment for this often vulnerable group of students. Among the many strategies that have been explored to increase postsecondary access is the expansion of Advanced Placement programs in high schools. These programs expose high school students to college level course work and provide students the opportunity to potentially earn college credit. Because of their rigorous academic nature and favorably among highly-selective colleges, participation in these courses are thought to enhanced students' affinity and preparation for college. While research that affirms this belief has been mixed, the majority of these studies have focused on student samples in which would-be first-generation college students have been largely absent or underrepresented. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by exploring how and if participation in Advanced Placement courses increases the likelihood of college enrollment among would-be first-generation college students. The analysis suggests that AP course participation exerts a significant degree of influence over students' college going decisions independent of other key factors, consistent with the primary hypothesis of the study.

Download or read book The Challenge of Senior Year in Chicago Public Schools written by Thomas Kelley-Kemple and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 9 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan argued in a 2010 address to the College Board, "High schools must shift from being last stop destinations for students on their education journey to being launching pads for further growth and lifelong learning for all students. The mission of high schools can no longer be to simply get students to graduate. Their expanded mission& must also be to ready students for careers and college." What will it take to meet this challenge? Senior year in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) presents an interesting dilemma in this changing educational landscape. While all CPS graduates take what might be termed a college preparatory curriculum in order to fulfill graduation requirements, those requirements can largely be fulfilled by junior year. This leaves senior year as the only year in high school with little guidance about what courses students should take--and also leaves space for a great deal of variation in students' enrollment in advanced coursework like a fourth year of math or an AP course. These senior year coursework decisions could be critical for college access and success. This study has taken an in-depth look at senior year coursetaking patterns in CPS. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, researchers examine both the effects senior year coursetaking has on college outcomes and student reports of their experiences in senior year. Specifically, researchers quantitatively ask what effect AP courses, a fourth year of math, or a high concentration of core subjects in a student's senior year schedule can have on enrolling in a four-year college, enrolling in a more selective four-year college, and persisting in a four-year college for two years. Qualitatively, researchers examine the level of challenge reported by students in individual classes, as well as across senior year. Analysis is run across separate achievement subgroups in order to observe any heterogeneity of treatment effects based on student achievement. The quantitative portion of this study focused on 30,649 CPS graduates from the graduating cohorts of 2003-2007. The current study uses data on students' backgrounds, test scores, and coursetaking patterns, as well as school compositional data. In order to identify whether graduates enroll in college in the fall after graduation, the kinds of colleges they attend, and their two-year persistence rates, researchers use data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). This study leads to a number of seemingly contradictory findings: (1) Although there are some courses, like AP, that help students gain access to college, they do not seem to have any effect on persistence; (2) Though AP courses stood out as distinctly challenging to students, there is no evidence of long-term positive effects for these classes; and (3) It is surprising that even students who took challenging advanced courses still typically described senior year as unchallenging. Tables and a figure are appended.

Download or read book AP written by Philip Michael Sadler and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Draws together the most recent and rigorous research on the strengths and weaknesses of the Advanced Placement program. Examines closely the differences between AP and other high school courses, as well as variations among AP courses. In-depth studies gauge the impact of AP coursework on student performance in college. Finally, researchers examine the use of AP information in college admissions. From publisher description.

Download or read book College Readiness and the Impact of a Skills Based Advanced Placement Program written by Abby Lea Stotsenberg and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Student Teacher and Educational Leader Perceptions of the Quality of Implementation of an Advanced Placement Program in A Select Urban High School A Mixed Methods Study written by Quail T. Arnold and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Excellence Gaps in Education written by Jonathan A. Plucker and published by Harvard Education Press. This book was released on 2020-01-15 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2017 Texas Association for Gifted and Talented Legacy Scholar Book Award 2017 National Association of Gifted Children Scholar Book of the Year Award In Excellence Gaps in Education, Jonathan A. Plucker and Scott J. Peters shine a spotlight on “excellence gaps”—the achievement gaps among subgroups of students performing at the highest levels of achievement. Much of the focus of recent education reform has been on closing gaps in achievement between students from different racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic backgrounds by bringing all students up to minimum levels of proficiency. Yet issues related to excellence gaps have been largely absent from discussions about how to improve our schools and communities. Plucker and Peters argue that these significant gaps reflect the existence of a persistent talent underclass in the United States among African American, Hispanic, Native American, and poor students, resulting in an incalculable loss of potential among our fastest growing populations. Drawing on the latest research and a wide range of national and international data, the authors outline the scope of the problem and make the case that excellence gaps should be targeted for elimination. They identify promising interventions for talent development already underway in schools and provide a detailed review of potential strategies, including universal screening, flexible grouping, targeted programs, and psychosocial interventions. Excellence Gaps in Education has the potential for changing our national conversation about equity and excellence and bringing fresh attention to the needs of high-potential students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Download or read book Effects of Advanced Placement Courses on College Academic Success written by Stephen L. Brown and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The principal objective of high school learning is to prepare students for college success, even if they choose an alternative path of post-high school education or the workforce. Ideally, the most rigorous courses offered by high schools would provide students the greatest opportunities for collegiate academic success. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how advanced placement courses affect college readiness and ultimately college academic success. This study investigated how advanced placement curricula affected college learning. The mixed method study used a Likert scale survey that collected demographic, perception, and open-ended responses. In addition to the survey, interviews were conducted to further clarify survey responses. Fifty-three college students participated in the survey and four of those students chose to partake in an interview. The researcher used the networking features of Facebook to procure participants and Facebook profile pages to help diversify the participant pool. Data from the study presented strong correlations to AP course enrollment and college academic success. This study found students who enrolled in AP courses, regardless of the number of courses taken and their college GPA, perceived their AP courses to have supported their college success through the development of college readiness skills. When analyzing survey data for each of the college readiness skills studied, the three skills the greatest percent of all participants believed affected their college success were problem solving, supporting arguments with evidence, and research writing.

Download or read book The Toolbox Revisited written by Clifford Adelman and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Toolbox Revisited is a data essay that follows a nationally representative cohort of students from high school into postsecondary education, and asks what aspects of their formal schooling contribute to completing a bachelor's degree by their mid-20s. The universe of students is confined to those who attended a four-year college at any time, thus including students who started out in other types of institutions, particularly community colleges.

Download or read book Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment Courses at the High School Level written by Derrick J. Rink and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This paper is a review of current literature examining the impact of Advanced Placement (AP) and dual enrollment core courses at the high school level on college outcomes. The review closely examines research regarding AP and dual enrollment and their separate and combined effects on student GPA and post-secondary retention, including graduation rates. Factors affecting access to AP and dual enrollment courses, such as socioeconomic status and ethnicity, are also explored. The studies reviewed demonstrate a consensus that AP courses and dual enrollment courses do have a positive correlation with GPA and retention rates. High AP exam scores were particularly predictive for these outcomes. Socioeconomic and ethnicity do have an impact these results and are a limiting factor in access to these programs for some students. Future research opportunities include investigating how the number and course load of advanced courses may affect these outcomes."--leaf 4.

Download or read book Learning and Understanding written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-08-06 with total page 588 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes a fresh look at programs for advanced studies for high school students in the United States, with a particular focus on the Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate programs, and asks how advanced studies can be significantly improved in general. It also examines two of the core issues surrounding these programs: they can have a profound impact on other components of the education system and participation in the programs has become key to admission at selective institutions of higher education. By looking at what could enhance the quality of high school advanced study programs as well as what precedes and comes after these programs, this report provides teachers, parents, curriculum developers, administrators, college science and mathematics faculty, and the educational research community with a detailed assessment that can be used to guide change within advanced study programs.

Download or read book Challenge by Choice and Its Impact on Enrollment and Achievement for Advanced Placement Students written by Jessica Williams and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a Challenge by Choice policy instituted in 2011 on AP course taking and performance in a suburban, New York high school. Before this policy, the school used a tracking system based on grade point averages and teacher recommendation in order for students to be eligible for an Advanced Placement class; after, students were allowed to enroll themselves without completing any predetermined requirements. This study used ANOVAs and time series analyses to analyze the differences in means of student enrollment and achievement in AP classes among students before, during, and after the policy implementation for all students, as well as for demographic subgroups. Overall, there was a significant increase in the percentage of students who enrolled in at least one AP course for the students who were exposed to the policy and also a significant increase in the average number of AP courses students took. However, when broken down by subgroup, Black and Hispanic students did not realize these benefits. For most classes, AP scores were not influenced by the policy even though enrollment increased. Therefore, the Challenge by Choice policy achieved the school's intended goal of increasing AP course taking and achievement, but also increased equity gaps among some groups. Researchers, school administrators, and other school personnel may need to consider additional supports to ensure that this policy is effective for all students.

Download or read book Learning and Understanding written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-09-06 with total page 589 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book takes a fresh look at programs for advanced studies for high school students in the United States, with a particular focus on the Advanced Placement and the International Baccalaureate programs, and asks how advanced studies can be significantly improved in general. It also examines two of the core issues surrounding these programs: they can have a profound impact on other components of the education system and participation in the programs has become key to admission at selective institutions of higher education. By looking at what could enhance the quality of high school advanced study programs as well as what precedes and comes after these programs, this report provides teachers, parents, curriculum developers, administrators, college science and mathematics faculty, and the educational research community with a detailed assessment that can be used to guide change within advanced study programs.

Download or read book Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research written by John W. Creswell and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2017-08-31 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Combining the latest thinking about mixed methods research designs with practical, step-by-step guidance, the Third Edition includes coverage of two new mixed methods designs – transformative and multiphase – as well as the newest thinking about the use of software in the process of mixed methods analysis.

Download or read book Access to Academic Excellence written by Tiffinie A. Irving and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Advanced Placement (AP) program allows students to participate in college preparatory coursework while in high school as well as the option of earning college credit. It is presumed enrollment policies provide students with equal opportunities to access AP. Yet, African American and Hispanic students from poverty are underrepresented student groups participating in the AP program. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of personnel working at a high poverty, predominately minority high school (HS) on policies and practices that determine minority and low-income student enrollment in to the AP program. A qualitative study was conducted at a high poverty, predominately minority school located in Midwestern, United States. Data collection included interviews with school personnel; review of school artifacts, and policies from the school, the local district, the state department of education and the College Board. This study concluded policies are critical for consistent student placement practices by enrollment gatekeepers. However, policies alone will not provide equitable access and opportunity for all students. Traditional HS practices influenced by staff biases, beliefs, and master schedules create barriers, preventing some students from being identified and prepared for rigorous, college preparatory courses (DeLany, 1991; Taliaferro DeVance & DeCuir-Gunby, 2008). Strong leadership focused on implementing and monitoring reforms to create a cultural competent learning environment is necessary to combat deficit viewpoints and low expectations by staff of poor and minority students.

Download or read book City Schools and the American Dream 2 written by Pedro A. Noguera and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2020 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over a decade ago, the first edition of City Schools and the American Dream debuted just as reformers were gearing up to make sweeping changes in urban education. Despite the rhetoric and many reform initiatives, urban schools continue to struggle under the weight of serious challenges. What went wrong and is there hope for future change? More than a new edition, this sequel to the original bestseller has been substantially revised to include insights from new research, recent demographic trends, and emerging political realities. In addition to surveying the various limitations that urban schools face, the book also highlights programs, communities, and schools that are making good on public education’s promise of equity. With renewed commitment and sense of urgency, this new edition provides a clear-eyed vision of what it will take to ensure the success of city schools and their students. “City schools continue to play one of the most important roles in our quest to restore democracy. This is a must-read . . . again!” —Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin–Madison “The authors provide concrete examples of innovative strategies and practices employed by urban schools that are succeeding against all odds.” —Betty A. Rosa, chancellor, New York State Board of Regents “This is the book every teacher, parent, policymaker, and engaged citizen should read.” —Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco, UCLA