College Comes to High School: Participation and Performance in Tennessee’s Innovative Wave of Dual-Credit Courses

2021 ◽  
pp. 016237372110523
Author(s):  
Steven W. Hemelt ◽  
Tom Swiderski
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Dual Credit ◽  
School Level ◽  
College Level ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
College Credit ◽  
Student Demand ◽  
And Performance ◽  
End Of Course Exams

We analyze the rollout of a Statewide Dual-Credit (SDC) program intended to expand access to college-level courses during high school. We find that SDC increased early postsecondary course-taking among students in the middle of the achievement distribution, especially through courses in vocational subjects, without decreasing participation in Advanced Placement (AP). However, SDC was mostly offered by schools already providing courses in similar subject areas and was less frequently offered in small relative to large schools, thus doing little to ameliorate placed-based gaps in course-taking opportunities. Furthermore, a majority of students failed the end-of-course exams necessary to secure college credit, and those who passed closely resemble students who pass AP exams. Low SDC exam pass rates predict school-level discontinuation of SDC courses over and above a range of other factors that reflect student demand and staffing capacity.

scholarly journals Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles: Searching for Equity in a Two-Tiered Solution to Underrepresentation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Howard
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Computer Science Courses ◽  
Stem Major ◽  
And Performance

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between students’ participation in the two high school AP computer science exam options and their selected fields of study once they enter post-secondary education. Two studies using national public-use datasets of participation and performance were conducted. Study 1 compared score distributions for the traditional Computer Science A exam to those of the newer Computer Science Principles exam during its first two years of implementation. In Study 1, Chi-square analyses indicated large differences in performance between the two exams, with the Computer Science Principles scores clustering more around marginal pass rates. Descriptive data indicate that African American, Latino, and female students participated in larger proportions on the new exam, whereas traditionally overrepresented groups are continuing to opt more for the traditional Computer Science A course. In Study 2, logistic regression analyses were conducted on the 2016 second follow-up data collection of the High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09). Those analyses revealed that 11th Grade enrollment in computer science courses that concentrate on computer programming significantly predicted selection of a STEM major as the first declared major after high school. Although students who enrolled in Computer Science A were five times as likely to declare a STEM major, a comparison of the curricula and assessments for the two courses suggests that the Computer Science Principles exam places far less emphasis on programming. The potential implications of the differential foci and emphases of the two courses are discussed.

scholarly journals Research on the Academic Benefits of the Advanced Placement Program

SAGE Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401668299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell T. Warne
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
The United States ◽  
College Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
College Credit ◽  
College Board ◽  
Academic Benefits ◽  
New Methodologies

With more than 3 million participants per year, the Advanced Placement (AP) program is one of the most popular programs in the United States for exposing high-achieving high school students to advanced academic content. Sponsored by the College Board, the AP program provides a framework in which high school teachers can teach introductory college-level courses to high school students. These students then take one of 34 standardized tests at the end of the year, and students who score well on their course’s AP test can receive college credit from their university in which they later enroll. Despite the popularity of the AP program, remarkably little independent research has been conducted on the academic benefits of AP. In this article, I summarize the state of knowledge about the academic benefits of AP. Previous research and descriptive data indicate that AP students outperform non-AP students on a variety of academic measures, but many other aspects of the program are poorly understood, partially due to variability across AP subjects. These aspects include the causal impact of AP, which components of the program are most effective in boosting academic achievement, and how students engage with the AP program. I also conclude by making suggestions for researchers to use new methodologies to investigate new scientific and policy questions and new student populations to improve the educational scholars’ and practitioners’ understanding of the AP program.

scholarly journals Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles: Searching for Equity in a Two-Tiered Solution to Underrepresentation

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith E. Howard ◽  
Douglas D. Havard
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Computer Science Courses ◽  
Stem Major ◽  
And Performance

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between students’ participation in the two high school AP computer science exam options and their selected fields of study once they enter post-secondary education. Two studies using national public-use datasets of participation and performance were conducted. Study 1 compared score distributions for the traditional Computer Science A exam to those of the newer Computer Science Principles exam during its first two years of implementation. In Study 1, Chi-square analyses indicated large differences in performance between the two exams, with the Computer Science Principles scores clustering more around marginal pass rates. Descriptive data indicate that African American, Latino, and female students participated in larger proportions on the new exam, whereas traditionally overrepresented groups are continuing to opt more for the traditional Computer Science A course. In Study 2, logistic regression analyses were conducted on the 2016 second follow-up data collection of the High School Longitudinal Study 2009 (HSLS:09). Those analyses revealed that 11th Grade enrollment in computer science courses that concentrate on computer programming significantly predicted selection of a STEM major as the first declared major after high school. Although students who enrolled in Computer Science A were five times as likely to declare a STEM major, a comparison of the curricula and assessments for the two courses suggests that the Computer Science Principles exam places far less emphasis on programming. The potential implications of the differential foci and emphases of the two courses are discussed.

The Accounting Pilot and Bridge Project

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan S. Deines ◽  
Joseph Bittner ◽  
Glenda Eichman
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
College Level ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Accounting Profession ◽  
School Students ◽  
College Credit ◽  
Baby Boomer Generation

ABSTRACT The accounting profession will experience a 50 percent decline in its ranks in the next ten years as accounting professionals from the Baby Boomer generation retire. To replace these professionals, the accounting profession will have to compete with law, medicine, engineering, and other professions that will also be replacing their “boomers.” During the period the boomers are retiring, the number of high school graduates is expected to decline, which suggests that the currently high accounting enrollments are unlikely to continue. If the accounting profession is to compete for the best and brightest students in the future, it is in its best interest to address structural impediments that exist in its educational supply chain. One significant structural impediment in the supply chain is the traditional high school accounting course. In 2000 the AICPA's Taylor Report stated high school accounting courses were a “systemic barrier” to entry into the profession for the very high school students the profession wants to attract (Taylor 2000). These courses have not changed substantially since the Taylor report was issued. The Accounting Pilot and Bridge Project (The Project) proposes to eliminate this barrier and has created a new college-level high school accounting course that provides college credit for those students who take the course and pass a rigorous qualifying examination. The Project is modeled after the College Board's highly successful Advanced Placement (AP) program. Once specific goals are achieved, The Project plans to submit a proposal to the College Board for it to adopt accounting as part of its Advanced Placement curriculum. After describing the research and initiatives that led to the creation of The Project, this paper discusses the goals of The Project, the process to have accounting added to the College Board's AP Curriculum, the curriculum used in the pilot course, the progress made to date, and what lies ahead.

“Detrimental to the Team Dynamic”: Exploring College Student-Athlete Dissent

2021 ◽  
pp. 216747952110019
Author(s):  
Rikishi T. Rey ◽  
Zac D. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
College Student ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
School Level ◽  
Student Athlete ◽  
College Level ◽  
High School Level ◽  
College Student Athletes

To properly manage college student-athlete dissent, stakeholders (e.g., coaches, teammates, administration, athletic trainers, etc.) must first recognize the situations that cause athletes to dissent. Although athletic dissent is not a new concept, to date, it has only been examined at the high school level. To fill this gap, this study begins to explore this issue at the college level by examining the triggering agents that cause college student-athletes to communicate dissent. Participants ( N = 72) from 11 different sports were asked to complete multiple narratives in response to open ended questions after reflecting on a time where they communicated dissent. Results of a thematic analysis indicate that there are eight triggering agents of dissent, demonstrating distinct differences between high school and college student-athlete dissent due to various contextual factors. These findings highlight the needs and desires of college student-athletes which can help coaches, administration, and other stakeholders to promote positive college student-athlete experiences.

Advanced Placement: The Dual Challenge of Equal Access and Effectiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 671-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suneal Kolluri
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
College Preparation ◽  
Equal Access ◽  
Equitable Access ◽  
College Credit ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
College Ready

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers an opportunity for students to earn college credit and develop college-ready skills in high school. The curriculum was initially designed for “superior” students at exclusive private schools. Recently, however, the AP program has expanded to serve more students from marginalized backgrounds, and equitable access has become one of its core objectives. Scholars have questioned whether AP can continue to offer effective college preparation while expanding beyond the populations it was initially designed to serve. This literature review summarizes existing research on whether the AP program has achieved its dual goals of equal access and effectiveness. The extant literature suggests that, despite impressive gains in access to AP, significant barriers remain to its becoming a program that ensures equal access for all students and effectively prepares them for college coursework. Assessing whether these barriers can be overcome, however, demands new approaches to AP research.

Advanced Placement Oriented Calculus for High School Students

1980 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 347-355
Author(s):  
Karen Mezynski ◽  
Julian C. Stanley
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Class Ii ◽  
Class I ◽  
College Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ap Calculus ◽  
College Calculus

A supplementary calculus course was conducted to give highly able students the opportunity to learn the equivalent of two semesters of college calculus while still in high school. Two different student populations were sampled; the average age of the members of Class I was 14.9 years, whereas for members of Class II it was 16.7 years. Class I members had more previous exposure to fast-paced mathematics instruction than had members of Class II. Both classes took the College Board's AP Calculus Examination, Level BC, at the end of the course. The results of the AP examination indicated that most students learned college-level calculus well. Considerations for the establishment of similar programs are discussed.

scholarly journals Admission Test as Predictor of Performance of Students in the English Subject

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena M. Ocbian ◽  
Michael P. Gamba ◽  
Jhonner D. Ricafort
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
School Level ◽  
College Level ◽  
Test Results ◽  
High School Level ◽  
Admission Test ◽  
English Subject

Admission testing is an integral part of higher education institutions (HEIs) in maintaining the quality educational standards. Through testing, the HEI’s can objectively select applicants that are likely to succeed in their intended course. The study was conducted to determine the predictive validity of the admission Tests of the secondary and college levels to their performance in English subjects using the descriptive-correlational designs. The respondents were the secondary students of the SSC Laboratory High School and First-Year college students from school years 2009-2012. The Pearson Correlation was used to determine the relationship of the admission test results and the performance of the identified respondents on the English subject. The GPA on English and SSC Admission test results on college level shows a moderate positive relationship. Also, high school level denotes a strong positive relationship. This relationship had been manifested in 40% of the respondents in secondary level, and 13% of the respondents in college level. This significant relationship suggests that admission test determines the potential performance of the students in their English subject in both secondary and tertiary level. Thus, it was concluded that SSC Admission Test is a valid predictor of the students’ performance in English subject.

The Lone Star Challenge

2019 ◽  
pp. 53-71
Author(s):  
Chester E. Finn ◽  
Andrew E. Scanlan
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Charter Schools ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Dual Credit ◽  
Great Success ◽  
Fort Worth ◽  
Complex Interplay ◽  
School Students ◽  
Upward Slope

This chapter focuses on the Advanced Placement (AP) program in Texas. No place in America offers a larger or more vivid example of AP's recent history, its widening mission, and the challenges of carrying out that mission than Texas. The Lone Star State illustrates the complex interplay of traditional AP success in upscale schools; ambitious efforts to extend it to more disadvantaged youngsters; robust, AP-centric charter schools; and an exceptionally bumptious and varied array of dual-credit alternatives. As in most of the nation, AP participation has surged in Texas for four straight decades, and the upward slope has recently steepened. The number of exams per pupil rose, too, spurred by governmental and philanthropic moves to grow the program as well as intensifying college competition among high school students. The chapter then evaluates the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). The Fort Worth experience with NMSI—and the Texas experience more generally—illustrates the challenge of expanding AP to students who have not historically had much access to it or enjoyed great success with it.

How college credit in high school impacts postsecondary course-taking: the role of AP exams

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-43
Author(s):  
Oded Gurantz
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
School Students ◽  
College Credit ◽  
Using Data

This paper uses Advanced Placement (AP) exams to examine how receiving college credit in high school alters students' subsequent human capital investment. Using data from one large state, I link high school students to postsecondary transcripts from in-state, public institutions and estimate causal impacts using a regression discontinuity that compares students with essentially identical AP performance but who receive different offers of college credit. I find that female students who earn credit from STEM exams take higher-level STEM courses, significantly increasing their depth of study, with no observed impacts for males. As a result, the male-female gap in STEM courses taken shrinks by roughly one-third to two-thirds, depending on the outcome studied. Earning non-STEM AP credit increases overall coursework in non-STEM courses and increases the breadth of study across departments. Early credit policies help assist colleges to produce graduates whose skills aligns with commonly cited social or economic priorities, such as developing STEM graduates with stronger skills, particularly among traditionally underrepresented groups.

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