Number of Courses, Content of Coursework, and Prior Achievement as Related to Ethnic Achievement Gaps in Mathematics

Authors

Ernest C. Davenport Jr.
Mark L. Davison
Yi-Chen Wu
Se-Kang Kim
Haijiang Kuang
Nohoon Kwak
Chi-Keung Chan
Alicia Ayodele

Abstract

This study utilized base-year and second follow-up data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 to investigate the relationship between eighth-grade math achievement, mathematics course-taking in high school, and twelfth-grade math achievement. Results suggested the following: 1) Type of coursework can be quantified. 2) Type of coursework was more predictive of achievement than amount. 3) There were substantial ethnic achievement differences prior to high school. 4) Number of courses, type of courses, and prior achievement were not equally predictive of twelfth-grade mathematics achievement across ethnic groups. 5) Prior achievement did not equally predict course-taking over ethnic groups in amount or type. 6) Closing ethnic achievement gaps will be a function of efforts taken before high school as well as high school coursework.

Recommended Citation

Davenport, Ernest C. Jr.; Davison, Mark L.; Wu, Yi-Chen; Kim, Se-Kang; Kuang, Haijiang; Kwak, Nohoon; Chan, Chi-Keung; and Ayodele, Alicia (2013) "Number of Courses, Content of Coursework, and Prior Achievement as Related to Ethnic Achievement Gaps in Mathematics," Journal of Educational Leadership in Action: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2164-1102.1078
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/ela/vol2/iss1/4

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