College enrollment and persistence did not improve after the science requirement, and college-going declined in later years¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2010 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Despite large increases in college-preparatory coursework, college enrollment did not increase, students who attended college were no more likely to persist two years, and college-going actually declined in later years. → Montgomery 2010

Evidence¶

Montgomery 2010¶

Montgomery, N., & Allensworth, E. M., with Correa, M. (2010). Passing Through Science: The Effects of Raising Graduation Requirements in Science on Course-Taking and Academic Achievement in Chicago. Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/passing-through-science-effects-raising-graduation-requirements-science-course-taking

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Cohort comparison using National Student Clearinghouse data on four-year college entry and two-year persistence, across cohorts before and after the 1997 policy. No improvements in either enrollment or persistence were found.

"While students were more likely to graduate with college-preparatory credits in science, and in other subjects as well, college enrollment did not increase; moreover, those students who attended college were no more likely to stay in college for at least two years than students were prior to the policy change. In later years, college-going actually declined."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Universal college-prep coursework did not prepare more students for college: upper-level math credits and four-year college entrance showed no overall gains — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Mandated rigorous-curriculum policies in CPS sometimes had adverse consequences: the IDS initiative saw test scores decline and the college-prep-for-all policy increased course failure without achievement gains — related
• Requiring all students to take college-prep ninth-grade courses did not increase dropout or reduce graduation, including for low-ability students — related