Understanding the Impact of Providing Parents With Information About the Role of Algebra II: An Opportunistic Study

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding the Effects of High School Programs and Policies on Student Academic and Socio-Emotional Outcomes

Abstract

With the implementation of the new Texas graduation requirements under HB 5, which eliminated Algebra II as a high school graduation requirement, taking effect in the 2014/15 school year, the authors carried out a timely, policy-relevant opportunistic experiment to determine if directly providing parents with information on the importance of Algebra II for college access and success has an impact on the percentage of students who enroll in Algebra II by the end of their junior year. This study also examined the effects for students in schools with high percentages of low-income, low-achieving, and minority students. Contextual analyses investigated trends in Algebra II enrollment and course failure rates in Texas public high schools from the entering cohorts of 2007/08 through 2014/15.

Authors

• Ginger Stoker, American Institutes for Research

• Lynn T. Mellor, American Institute for Research