An Examination of Course Selection and Assignment/Reassignment Recommendations to Increase High School Student Access to and Completion of Rigorous Coursework

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Nine
  In Roundtable Session: Constructing Equitable Access to Complex High School and College Pathways (Table 6)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how school counselors applied district policy to encourage enrollment in rigorous coursework differently based on demographics. This study includes qualitative interviews with ten high school counselors in a school district in the northeast United States. Findings indicate that counselors were not following the policy to encourage open enrollment specifically with minoritized students. Multiple counselors continued to rely on past performance and teacher recommendations for course selection and did not discuss the role of race in the course selection process. The results demonstrate the importance of evaluating how a policy is implemented across the school organization to determine its effectiveness and impact on nondominant groups.

Authors

• Jami L Houston, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author

• Rachel Roegman, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Non-Presenting Author