– Indicators related to achievement in middle school and high school predicted students’ postsecondary STEM success. Examples are high school grade point average, class rank, math and science achievement, and SAT Reasoning Test or ACT math scores. Grades in math and science courses were less predictive of postsecondary STEM success for racial/ethnic minority students, including Hispanic students, than for White students.
– Statistically significant high school predictors of postsecondary STEM success included schools’ academic rigor, percentage of students enrolled in college preparatory programs, students’ satisfaction with their teachers, and levels of parent participation.
-Few studies examined K-12 predictors of postsecondary STEM success specifically for Hispanic students.
– Parent attitudes during students’ high school years were significantly related to postsecondary STEM success, with parent encouragement of science and math increasing the likelihood of entering a STEM profession and parents’ expectations related to the length of their children’s education predictive of pursuing a STEM major.