The purpose of this mixed methods study was to utilize a comprehensive 9-16 dataset to quantitatively examine which pre-college credit programs are the most significant predictors of college achievement as defined by college GPA, first to second year retention, time to degree and graduation date. A qualitative analysis was conducted, which via the…

This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) Is it feasible to develop Academic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and collect data on them across member urban school districts? (2) Are comparisons between districts on academic performance measures valid and reliable? (3) Do districts collect and maintain requested KPI data in a way…

This exploratory study examined and compared overall trends in growth and student achievement of the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Using data from the past two decades, analyses indicated there has been steady and extensive growth of AP participation, particularly among underclassmen and some minority groups. However, overall achievement, as…

The Advanced Placement (AP) program represents a critical element in Houston Independent School District's (HISD's) efforts to inject rigor into the high school classrooms. Since 2009, the AP course offerings in HISD have been vastly expanded, with more campuses offering a wider selection of AP courses that exposes a larger percentage of the high…

The National Math + Science Initiative's (NMSI's) College Readiness Program (CRP) is an established program whose goal is to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in high schools to improve students' readiness for college. The program provides teacher, student, and school supports to promote high school students'…

For over 40 years, an academic achievement gap has separated the Hispanic and White students in public schools on both national- and state-level standardized tests. The demographics in America have shown an increase in the Hispanic population in many states, especially Texas. This increase, which included the addition of many Hispanic families…

To evaluate how Advanced Placement courses affect college-going, we randomly assigned the offer of enrollment into an AP science course to over 1,800 students in 23 schools that had not previously offered the course. We find no substantial AP course effects on students' plans to enroll in college or on their college entrance exam scores. Yet AP…

This report presents key findings from "Learning in the Fast Lane: The Past, Present, and Future of Advanced Placement," by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Andrew E. Scanlan, and published by Princeton University Press in 2019. American education has long been plagued by excellence gaps among the young people who make it into the highest levels…

We explore the impacts of a Consortium of rural high schools and colleges in Tennessee engaged in partnership activities to improve high school students' college and career readiness. These 29 Consortium schools received support from the federal Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) to scale up local promising practices, including distance and online…

Research shows that students who double major have higher earnings and are more satisfied with their educational experience in college than those who graduate with a single major. In this study, we examine the extent to which a student's experience with academic acceleration programs in high school, specifically successful participation in the…

Functions are one of the most important topics in secondary school mathematics, especially for students who wish to take higher-level mathematics courses beginning with calculus. The prerequisites for Advanced Placement Calculus state that a thorough understanding of functions is needed for those who wish to succeed in the course and pass the AP…

This study employs a potential outcomes modeling approach to estimate the causal effect of the National Math + Science Initiative's College Readiness Program on Advanced Placement test taking and qualifying score earning for three recent cohorts of schools. Results indicate substantial and significant increases in both AP test taking and…

The National Math + Science Initiative (NMSI) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving educational outcomes that traces its roots back to the early 1990s. NMSI's College Readiness Program (CRP) is a long-standing program with the goal of promoting STEM education in high schools to improve students' preparation for college. The three-year…

This paper outlines the findings of a mixed-method study of private supplementary tutoring received by students at international schools offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in China. Phase One was an online survey of 151 IBDP graduates across 14 schools, while Phase Two included semi-structured interviews with school…

A broad range of factors go into weighing how well the nation's schools are living up to their responsibility to ensure that students are on track academically and prepared to take their place in a complex, ever-changing society. This third and final installment of "Quality Counts 2018" digs deeply into test scores, high school…