Racial Differences in High School Math Track Assignment

Abstract

Curriculum tracking continues as an entrenched part of schooling despite a substantial amount of research that shows educational advantages for college-track students and disadvantages for non-college-track students. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the odds of being in the college and honors math tracks in high school and was primarily interested in the role that pre-high school composition factors and student coursework played in influencing that relationship. Prior math achievement, pre-high school composition factors, and student coursework all played roles in explaining racial/ethnic differences in track placement, but their influence varied by group.

Key words:

• curriculum tracking
• math achievement
• high school
• Mexican American
• African American
• Asian American

Notes

¹This article uses the term high track interchangeably with college or honors track and the term low track interchangeably with nonacademic track

²Gamoran examined the effect of Latino/a and African American students as a combined group.

³For students without transcript data, I was unable to assess what grade level the student was in when a particular math course was taken. I was able to ascertain, however, how much (i.e., none, ½ year, 1 year, etc.) of a specific math course was taken from the beginning of ninth grade until the end of tenth grade.

⁴The questions were “From the beginning of ninth grade to the end of this school year, how much coursework will you have taken in each of the following subjects? How much coursework in Algebra I? Geometry? Algebra 2? Trigonometry? Pre-Calculus? Calculus?”

*p < .05.

**p < .01.

***p < .001