Lee, Valerie E., Croniger, Robert, & Smith, Julia
Researchers: Julia SmithRobert CronigerValerie E. Lee
University Affiliation: University of Michigan, University of Maryland, University of Rochester
Email: velee@umich.edu
Research Question:
How the organization of the mathematics curriculum in U.S. high schools affects how much students learn in that subject.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis
Journal Entry: Vol.19, No.2, pp. 99-121
Year: 1997
Findings:
- The majority (62%) of students attend schools where between a half and three fourth of the mathematics courses offered are academic.
- Students in low-academic schools average fewer courses in academic math than those moderate-academic schools.
- Evidence that minority and low-performing students are concentrated in schools with less academic focus.
- Measures of school academic composition, average ninth grade GPA, has a moderate and positive effect on average mathematics achievement. Students demonstrate higher achievement in schools where more high-performing students attend. A somewhat stronger effect is shown for average SES. Neither minority concentration nor school size have independent effects on achievement.
- In school where more of the offerings in mathematics are academic, students have higher mathematics achievement.
- Students are advantaged by attending school where they and their classmates take more academic mathematics courses, in schools where more students pursue their studies within a college-preparatory program, and in schools whose mathematics curricula consist of higher proportions of academic courses.In schools like this, students are more proficient in mathematics.
- In schools where most students follow essentially the same course of study in mathematics, achievement is distributed more equitably by social class.
- Students learn more in schools that offer them a narrow curriculum composed mostly of academic courses.
- Authors find issues in the measure used as DV.