Exploring Demographic Disparities in Advanced Coursework Participation Relative to COVID-19 Through a Research-Practice Partnership

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: Strategies for Improving and Increasing Diversity in Gifted Education (Table 1)

Abstract

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in high school advanced coursework participation are a longstanding civil rights issue. Research suggests that this tends to compound in racially segregated and high-poverty schools, particularly in rural settings. Concerns about learning loss during COVID-19 in racially and socioeconomically segregated schools suggest that these disparities have likely amplified during the pandemic. In this study, a mid-Atlantic Researcher-Practitioner Partnership (RPP) with six school districts and an urban university analyzed data from the state department of education to explore how participation in Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment varied based on the demographic composition and urbanicity of the 34 high schools in the region. Researchers also explored how disparities varied relative to the onset of the pandemic.

Authors

• David Bryant Naff, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Presenting Author

• Ciana Cross, Virginia Commonwealth University
  Presenting Author