Middle School Math Acceleration, College Readiness, and Gender

• In Event: 72.030 - STEM Matters 2: Investigating Effects of Gender, Ethnicity, English Language Proficiency, and Engagement on Student Outcomes

Abstract

To increase preparedness for college-level math, the Wake County Public School System implemented a policy assigning middle school students to an accelerated math track based on prior test scores. A regression discontinuity design comparing students at the threshold of eligibility yields three main findings. First, math acceleration has no effect on boys’ grades but substantially lowers girls’ grades. Second, acceleration has no clear effect on standardized test scores. Third, four-fifths of accelerated students continue on the accelerated track in high school. These results suggest that middle school math acceleration has promise for increasing college readiness but that girls’ math performance may suffer in settings where they are near the bottom rather than the top of the skill distribution.

Authors

• Shaun Michael Dougherty, University of Connecticut

• Joshua S. Goodman, Harvard University

• Darryl Vernois Hill, Wake County Public School System

• Erica Litke, University of Delaware

• Lindsay Coleman Page, University of Pittsburgh