Objective course placement and college readiness: Evidence from targeted middle school math acceleration

Shaun M. Dougherty, Joshua Goodman (), Darryl V. Hill, Erica G. Litke and Lindsay C. Page

Economics of Education Review, 2017, vol. 58, issue C, 141-161

Abstract: Advanced math coursework can affect college and labor market outcomes, yet discretionary placement policies can lead to differential access at key points in the college preparatory pipeline. We examine a targeted approach to course assignment that uses prior test scores to identify middle school students deemed qualified for a college preparatory math sequence. Accelerated math placement of relatively low-skilled middle schoolers increases the fraction later enrolling in Precalculus by one-seventh, and by over one-third for female and non-low income students. Acceleration increases college readiness and intentions to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Course placement rules based on objective measures can identify students capable of completing rigorous coursework but whom discretionary systems might overlook.

Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775716305465
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
Working Paper: Objective Course Placement and College Readiness: Evidence from Targeted Middle School Math Acceleration (2015)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:58:y:2017:i:c:p:141-161

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2017.04.002

Access Statistics for this article

Economics of Education Review is currently edited by E. Cohn

More articles in Economics of Education Review from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().