Success in the college preparatory mathematics pipeline: the role of policies and practices employed by three high school reform models

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship of the policies and practices employed by 3 high school reform models -Early College High Schools, Redesigned High Schools, and High Schools That Work -with student success in college preparatory mathematics courses by the end of the 10th grade. Data on policies and practices collected through a survey of school principals in North Carolina are combined with administrative data on student course-taking and performance. The examined policies include course-taking requirements, rigorous instruction, academic support, personalization, and relevance. Results show that implementation of these policies varies across models and that higher levels of implementation of combinations of these policies are associated with improved outcomes.

Educational Blockade: Structural Inequities in Segregated Southern High Schools

“…The finding that offering calculus, advanced mathematics, and physics in high schools has the largest relationships to college readiness is supported in the literature and demonstrates the need to create mathematics pipelines to college (Arshavsky et al, 2014;Kowski, 2013). The finding that the proportion of certified teachers has a sizeable relationship to college readiness is consistent with studies that show the presence of certified teachers reduces the need for college remediation (Guarino, Brown, & Wyse, 2011;Howell, 2011).…”

“…Students enrolled in rigorous coursework in high school are more likely to seek higher education and succeed at college (Arshavsky, 2014;Howell, 2011;Kowski, 2013;McGee, 2013;Musoba, 2011;Roderick, Coca, & Nagaoka, 2011). Lack of access to higher-level coursework, particularly for Black students, is rooted in lower levels of expectation by teachers and school leaders who do not expect Black students will excel in higher-level coursework given their educational performance in elementary and middle school.…”

“…While some argue that demand for higher level courses does not exist in high-minority schools, many examples exist of schools that offer higher level coursework and support students to achieve success. These schools promote a college-going culture by creating intentional policies such as increased course-taking requirements (Burris, Wiley, Welner, & Murphy, 2008), more rigorous instruction, clear relevance beyond high school, academic supports, and personalized guidance and advising (Arshavsky et al, 2014). This approach regards student effort as more relevant than prior aptitude, and rewards effort by providing even greater opportunities for learning (Resnick, 2010).…”

Expanding the Start of the College Pipeline: Ninth-Grade Findings From an Experimental Study of the Impact of the Early College High School Model

“…In both Algebra I and English I, the EOC exam pass rates for early college students were not significantly different from the pass rates for the control group. 8 Why do our results differ from the Chicago findings when both interventions essentially mandated a core college preparatory curriculum? One possible explanation is that the Chicago intervention changed only the coursetaking requirements for students, whereas early colleges changed the coursetaking requirements as part of a more comprehensive school reform effort focused on preparing all students for college.…”

Creating a college-going culture : accountability models and measuring institutional rigor in secondary schools.

“…Core components across all three models include: RHS HSTW ECHS Course-taking requirements-required core academic courses, high expectations Rigorous instruction-school or department-wide policies for rigorous instructional practices Relevance-access to more rigorous career/technical courses Academic support-academic support in specific subjects, use of data to target support Personalization-structures to foster relationships, social support (Arshavsky et al, 2014;Glancy, Fulton, Anderson, Zinth, & Millard, 2014).…”