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College and Career Readiness: Access to Advanced Mathematics and Science Courses in Virginia Public High Schools

dc.contributor.authorBallard, Quentin Laquanen
dc.contributor.committeechairCash, Carol S.en
dc.contributor.committeechairRose, Valija C.en
dc.contributor.committeememberPrice, Ted S.en
dc.contributor.committeememberGlenn, William Josephen
dc.contributor.departmentEducational Leadership and Policy Studiesen
dc.date.accessioned2017-05-17T06:00:14Zen
dc.date.available2017-05-17T06:00:14Zen
dc.date.issued2015-11-23en
dc.description.abstractA renewed focus to produce college and career ready graduates capable of thriving in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and other career and technical education professions has made access to advanced mathematics and science courses for all students a priority in K-12 education. Previous research on achievement has indicated that Black and Latino students are underrepresented in advanced mathematics and science courses and are lagging behind their peers in academic performance. Some researchers have suggested that these disparities in participation and achievement result from unequal access to educational opportunities. This purpose of this study was to examine student access to advanced mathematics and sciences courses in Virginia public high schools as an indicator of college and career readiness. This study employed secondary data analysis of school level data from the Virginia Department of Education. Regression analyses, simple and multiple, were used to examine access to advanced mathematics (Algebra II and higher) and advanced science (Chemistry and higher) course offerings by school characteristics, including school size, economically disadvantaged percentage, the percentage of minority students, and urbanicity locale. The results of this study indicated that student access to advanced mathematics and science course offerings, excluding and including AP mathematics and science courses, as in indicator of college and career readiness, differed based upon school size, economically disadvantaged percentage, and urbanicity locale. These findings, consistent with national statistics and other research, suggested that students who attend public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia do not have equal access to advanced mathematics and science course offerings, including AP mathematics and science courses, when school size, economically disadvantaged, and urbanicity locales are considered. Other findings related to access based on the percentage of minority students were inconsistent with prior research, as there was no significant difference in the number of advanced mathematics and science course offerings, excluding and including AP mathematics and science courses, based on the percentage of Black and Latino students enrolled in Virginia public high schools.en
dc.description.degreeEd. D.en
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:6802en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/77676en
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectCollege and career readinessen
dc.subjectaccessen
dc.subjectopportunity to learnen
dc.subjectadvanced mathematics and science course offeringsen
dc.subjectrigorous curriculumen
dc.subjectequityen
dc.titleCollege and Career Readiness: Access to Advanced Mathematics and Science Courses in Virginia Public High Schoolsen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineEducational Leadership and Policy Studiesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameEd. D.en

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