The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study is to determine if and to what extent is there a statistically significant difference in math aptitude, as measured by SAT-Math scores, between African American male and female public high school students enrolled in a STEM program versus those enrolled in a non-STEM program in a high school of…

The decision for high-stakes exams to be a core part of the admission process has not been without controversy. Current literature on standardized tests has focused on the bias associated with high-stakes exams and how Black students have historically scored low on these tests. Insufficient research exists on how a post-affirmative action and…

We studied ALEKS PPL placement scores, SAT scores, and entry-course grades for a population of 1659 students who placed into College Algebra or below over a span of 5 years. In addition to representing an understudied range of placement level, the study was conducted at an HBCU with majority Black/African American students, a demographic that is…

Most selective colleges implemented test-optional admissions during the pandemic, making college entrance exam scores optional for applicants. We draw on descriptive, two-way fixed effects, and event study methods to examine variation in test-optional implementation during the pandemic and how implementation relates to selectivity and enrollment.…

The ex post facto study was conducted following a quasi-experimental design. Both the control group and the treatment group took the local assessments, PSAT, and the SAT. The control group was taught using a traditional Algebra II curricula for two units of study. The treatment and control groups were taught the same two units: systems of…

This article uses quasi-experimental techniques to assess the relationship between test-optional policy implementation and the proportion of Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White students among the 510 selective institutions in Barron's Ranking from 2006 to 2019. The findings could provide empirical evidence about the connections between test-optional…

Over the past 20 years, elite colleges in the US have seen dramatic increases in applications. We provide context for part of this trend using detailed data on Harvard University that was unsealed as part of the SFFA v. Harvard lawsuit. We show that Harvard encourages applications from many students who effectively have no chance of being…

The problem was that testing instructions were normally presented as gains were more advantageous for promotion-oriented individuals, while testing instructions presented as losses were more advantageous for prevention-oriented. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to compare the performance on a measure of achievement for black…

This study attempts to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between undergraduate African-American admissions for both test-optional and traditional institutions. The posed research questions addressed whether test-optional admissions have increased African-American admissions since the longitudinal study by Bates…

Decades after the 1954 "Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka" unanimous decision to desegregate schools, the ideology of Black people having equal educational opportunities has not been realized; Black people continue to lag in educational attainment. However, the inequalities in life experiences between Black and White people limit the…

Historically, African American and other underserved students encounter academic challenges in pursuit of a college degree--one of which is their performance on standardized tests. This paper analyzes College Grade Point Averages (CGPAs), ACT Composite (ACTC), and SAT Total (SATT) scores of students who participated in the Health Sciences and…

The public school system in U.S. has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Institutionally, neo-liberal reform has created a new educational apparatus known as charter schools. As they admit students without school boundaries, these schools promise to offer great opportunities for disadvantaged students. The enrollment in charter schools…

The present study explores demographics, pre-university characteristics and multi-year (2003-2013) tracking of a census of 53,077 students who initially declared a STEM major upon entering a research university in the United States Southwest and seeks to predict graduation with a STEM and non-STEM degree. Guided by QuantCrit theory, we use…

Twenty-first century and higher-learning skills such as critical thinking are highly desired for new college graduates entering the workplace, especially with rapid changing technology and a more globalized economy. As a result, the importance of critical thinking development at higher education institutions has increased. The purpose of this…

With the passage of House Bill 1599 in 2019, graduation pathways were established as one of the requirements for high school graduation. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is required by RCW 28A.655.260 to collect and report on graduation pathways data annually. This report includes the unique pathway options, a data…