Dismantling Roadblocks to Equity? A Mixed-Methods Study of Four Districts' Advanced Placement Initiatives

• In Event: Cultivating School and District Improvement Through Building the Capacities of Teachers and Principals

Abstract

This mixed methods study analyzes the impact of four diverse school districts’ initiatives to increase access to AP coursework between 2010 and 2015. We build on critical race theory to explore the extent to which policies designed to increase access for all impact different racial groups. Findings show all districts demonstrated an increase in access to AP courses without statistically significant decreases in scores. However, all identified a similar challenge—ensuring access was equitable, as initiatives had the unintended consequence of enrolling Asian and White students, instead of Latino and African American students. Implications suggest that districts develop an equity-based framework—an integrated improvement approach that includes policy, monitoring, and disaggregation of data—to ensure initiatives are implemented equitably.

Authors

• Rachel Roegman, Purdue University

• Thomas C. Hatch, Teachers College, Columbia University

• David Allen, College of Staten Island - CUNY