– Economically disadvantaged and underrepresented minority students in STEM schools are more likely to take and pass these classes than their peers in non-STEM schools.
– Compared with non-STEM schools, the STEM schools have smaller gaps in advanced science and mathematics course taking and passing between disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged students.
– STEM schools in this study served a slightly higher percentage of students who are underrepresented in STEM in college and career.
– For economically advantaged students who were not members of underrepresented minority groups, results were mixed. In some cases, we found no difference between students in STEM and traditional schools, whereas in other cases, students in traditional schools took or passed more courses.
– Given that these students are more likely to take advanced science classes, it is surprising that fewer students in STEM schools would take advanced mathematics classes than their peers in traditional schools.
– These findings suggest that STEM schools are more equitable than the non-STEM schools. In almost all comparisons, gaps in advanced course taking and passing were smaller in the STEM schools than the non-STEM schools.
– Compared with neighboring nonSTEM schools, the STEM schools served a higher percentage of students who were underrepresented minorities and who qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.
– Students in STEM schools had lower SAT scores than those in matched schools in the district or the neighboring district and had lower end-of-eighth-grade test scores, indicating that these schools are not targeting high-achieving STEM-gifted students. Thus, although many results are substantively small and some favor those in non-STEM schools, on the whole, the results are encouraging.