Predicting Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment Participation by School Demographics and Urbanicity During COVID-19

• In Event: COVID-19 Impacts: The Then, the Now, and Predictions for the Future

Abstract

Schools with higher concentrations of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority and low-income students tend to have lower participation in Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment (DE), as do rural schools. The onset of COVID-19 proved disruptive to student learning and has likely impacted matriculation in high school advanced coursework, perhaps most acutely in racially segregated, high-poverty, and rural settings. To explore this, researchers analyzed AP and DE participation relative to the demographic composition and urbanicity of 354 Virginia high schools. Results showed that disparities in AP participation relative to school context were pronounced, but less so for DE. Furthermore, AP and DE participation did not change significantly relative to the pandemic. Implications for future research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Authors

• David Bryant Naff, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Jeffrey Wooten, Virginia Commonwealth University