Universal college-prep coursework did not prepare more students for college: upper-level math credits and four-year college entrance showed no overall gains¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2008 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Overall, students were no more likely to obtain upper-level math credits or attend a four-year college after the policy. → Allensworth 2008

Evidence¶

Allensworth 2008¶

Allensworth, E., Nomi, T., Montgomery, N., & Lee, V. E. (2008). College Preparatory Curriculum for All: Consequences of Ninth-Grade Course Taking in Algebra and English on Academic Outcomes in Chicago. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/college-preparatory-curriculum-all-consequences-ninth-grade-coursetaking-algebra-and

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Longer-term enrollment-effect results (Table 2): students in the two lowest-ability groups were slightly more likely to earn credits beyond geometry (a three percentage point increase for lowest-ability students, p<.01), but not beyond Algebra II; final GPAs declined slightly (p<.05) and four-year college probability decreased slightly for all but the lowest-ability group.

"Thus, a policy that replaced remedial with college-prep coursework in the ninth grade for all students did not prepare more students for college—overall, students were no more likely to obtain credits in upper-level math courses, or attend a four-year college."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Chicago's college-prep-for-all policy nearly universalized enrollment in Algebra I and English I and narrowed course-taking gaps by race, ability, and special education status — related
• College enrollment and persistence did not improve after the science requirement, and college-going declined in later years — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Long-term outcomes showed few benefits: slight increases in upper-level math credits for low-ability students but slightly lower final GPAs and reduced 4-year college enrollment for others — related
• Requiring all students to take college-prep ninth-grade courses did not increase dropout or reduce graduation, including for low-ability students — related
• The policy substantially increased English I credit earning for low-ability students, with marginal increases in English failure and slightly lower grades — related
• Overall policy effects: lowest-ability students earned more ninth-grade credits but also failed more, and long-term outcomes were small to non-existent, with no increase in college entrance — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Demanding excellence for the many rather than the few is questionable, and academic excellence defined as test success is too narrow — related