ISHS attendance is associated with 75 to 80 percent higher odds of economically disadvantaged students entering a Texas four-year college, with no significant college-entry difference for students overall¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2018 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Economically disadvantaged ISHS students had 75% and 80% higher odds of entering a Texas four-year college in fall 2014 or ever by spring 2016 (p < .05). → Means 2018 q2 i? After model adjustment, there was no significant difference in four-year college entrance between ISHS and comparison students overall, nor for Hispanic and female students. → Means 2018 (2)

Evidence¶

Means 2018¶

Means, Wang, Wei, Iwatani, & Peters. (2018). Broadening Participation in STEM College Majors: Effects of Attending a STEM-Focused High School. AERA Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418806305

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Propensity score-weighted HLM on Texas higher education enrollment records (Table 3; economically disadvantaged n = 548 ISHS / 1,294 comparison). The printed odds increases of 75% and 80% are significant (p < .05) but are not standardized effect sizes, so impact is coded i?; that is not a null finding. The comparison is propensity-weighted and observational, and the authors say it cannot rule out selection bias, so it estimates an adjusted association rather than establishing cause.

"The odds of their entering a Texas four-year college the fall after high school or any time from 2014 to spring 2016 are increased by 75% and 80%, respectively, for economically disadvantaged students who went to an ISHS (p < .05)."

Means 2018 (2)¶

Means, Wang, Wei, Iwatani, & Peters. (2018). Broadening Participation in STEM College Majors: Effects of Attending a STEM-Focused High School. AERA Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418806305

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Same HLM analysis of college enrollment for all students (n = 867 ISHS / 1,997 comparison). The raw mean advantage (.41 vs .31) was "no significant difference" after adjustment; no effect size is printed.

"after adjusting for the many demographic, prior achievement, and school charac- teristics in the analytic model, there is no significant difference."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Socioeconomic Status — moderator: an instructional effect differs by group

Related Claims¶

• Attending an inclusive STEM high school nearly triples the odds of declaring a Core STEM major at a four-year college two years after high school graduation — related
• Attending an inclusive STEM high school is not associated with declaring a STEM major at a two-year college — related
• The four-year college STEM major advantage of inclusive STEM high schools holds for Hispanic, female, and economically disadvantaged students, with odds ratios above three — related
• ISHS attendance is associated with more Core STEM courses completed at four-year colleges but not with STEM GPA or total courses, and shows no course-taking advantage at two-year colleges — related
• The ISHS advantage in STEM career interest at the end of high school remains significant after controlling for prior middle school STEM interest and activity — related
• Most reviewed studies used samples composed of at least 40 percent economically disadvantaged students — related