Muller, Chandra, Riegle-Crumb, Catherine, Schiller, Kathryn S., Wilkinson, Lindsey, & Frank, Kenneth A.
Researchers: Catherine Riegle-CrumbChandra MullerKathryn S. SchillerKenneth A. FrankLindsey Wilkinson
University Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin
Email: cmuller@soc.utexas.edu
Research Question:
Assess whether racially diverse high schools offer equal education and opportunities to students of different racial/ethnic groups
Published: 0
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: N/A
Journal Entry: Paper Presented at the ASA, San Francisco, CA, Aug
Year: 2004
Findings:
- This research examines the opportunity structures for African American and Latino students in racially diverse schools by measuring the under-representation of blacks and Latinos in sophomore advanced math classes, and examining how this limits their level of achievement by the end of high school.
- Attending schools where course taking is racially stratified may have long-term consequences for Latinos’ and AA’s achievement.
- The study finds that in the average school, minority students are under-represented in sophomore advanced math classes, relative to White and Asian students.
- There is much variation across schools.
- The underrepresentation of Black and Latino students in sophomore advanced math classes is associated with their achievement—in some schools associated with lower GPA and lower four year college enrollment, compared to Whites and Asians.
- These effects were net of controls for background, preparation, early performance, and sophomore course placement.
- Schools vary in the extent to which African American and Latino students are under-represented in advanced sophomore math classes, and that this variance is only modestly correlated to issues of social class and academic performance. This pattern of racial inequality in schools is associated with lower minority senior year grades and enrollment in four-year postsecondary institutions, net of students’ own background.