Gatekeepers to High School STEM Courses: Implications of Middle School Math Acceleration Policies

• In Event: Policies and Interventions for Student Persistence in STEM Fields

Abstract

Introduction: The United States is facing a growing STEM talent shortage. We must drastically expand the number of students studying advanced STEM fields, including computer science (CS), to prepare every student to thrive in the innovation economy. However, policies that determine how students are placed in accelerated math pathways (e.g., taking Algebra 1 by eighth grade instead of in ninth grade) may be undermining this goal and closing doors for many students. In Texas, district policies beginning as early as elementary school have determined whether students take Algebra 1 by eighth grade, and many students who demonstrate readiness for math acceleration have not been placed into this advanced pathway, often due to teacher perceptions and parental lack of information (Bailie & Wiseman, 2018). Algebra 1 has been shown to be a gatekeeper to higher level mathematics in high school (e.g., Clotfelter et al., 2015), which is a necessary step towards preparing students for college and careers in STEM. In this study, we explored the extent to which Algebra 1 serves as a gatekeeper to students taking advanced STEM courses (including CS and science, in addition to math) in high school. Research Question: What is the relationship between students’ middle school math placement and subsequent high school course taking in i) CS, ii) college-level math, and iii) college-level science? Methods: We utilized statewide, longitudinal data from the Texas Education Research Center. We followed a cohort of fifth graders (N=336,305) in Texas public schools in 2016-17 longitudinally through the fourth year of high school in 2023-24. We used three cross-classified multilevel logistic regression models to examine students’ high school course taking in CS, college-level math, and college-level science. This approach was chosen because students are simultaneously associated with both a middle school and a high school, but these school-level units are not always hierarchically nested within one another. We controlled for student-level demographics (e.g., economic status), fifth grade standardized math scores, and high school enrollment, along with high school-level demographics (e.g., percentage of students who were economically disadvantaged), locale, STEM course availability, and whether a teacher was certified in CS. Results: Taking Algebra 1 by eighth grade was a significant predictor of high school course taking for all three outcomes (p<.001). Specifically, students who completed Algebra 1 by eighth grade had over five times greater odds of taking college-level math, over three times greater odds of taking college-level science, and almost two times greater odds of taking CS in high school. Policy Implications: Math placement decisions made as students head into middle school can determine whether students are able to take advanced STEM courses in high school that prepare them for the future. A promising policy that could help address this issue is automatically enrolling (with parental opt-out options) well-prepared students into the pathway to take Algebra 1 by eighth grade, variations of which Texas and 11 other states are currently considering or implementing. In our future work, we will explore the impact of recent automatic enrollment statewide policy change in Texas.

Authors

• Nicole Danielle Martin, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Amy Lyn Wiseman, The University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Zhuoying Wang, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Miriam Jacobson, The University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Annelies Rhodes, E3 Alliance
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Rodrigo Miguel Lopez, E3 Alliance
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Carol L. Fletcher, The University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Co-Author