The Relationship Between Advanced Placement Course-Taking/Exam and Undergraduate Remedial Course-Taking

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: High School to College and Beyond: Aspirations, Preparation, and Transitions

Abstract

Using a nationally representative, longitudinal data set, we examined the relationship between participation in Advanced Placement programs and postsecondary remedial course taking across and within ethnic groups. Findings revealed that, overall, both AP course-taking and exam-taking reduces the odds of a student requiring both limited (one course only) or extensive (at least three courses) postsecondary remediation. Disaggregating the data by race/ethnicity, however, revealed a more nuanced pattern. We also found that, although a larger proportion of Black students require remediation than any other ethnic group when they do not enroll in an AP course, when they do enroll in AP courses the proportion requiring remediation shrinks considerably. A similar pattern when taking into consideration AP test-taking.

Authors

• Hyun Joo Jung, University of Massachusetts - Amherst

• Jennifer Randall, University of Massachusetts