Advanced placement (AP) physics performance is an important metric for examining precollege student preparation for post-secondary study. The present study examined potential predictors of AP Physics 1 performance including gender, teacher, and school-level characteristics. A theoretical framework proposed teacher preparation and experiential…

The purpose of the present study was to examine how Advanced Placement (AP) course participation influences the postsecondary persistence of Black students compared to other commonly examined factors, using a nine-predictor logistic regression model. We extracted data from the 2012/14 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study…

Over the years, the nation's large urban school districts have consistently learned from the progress of their peer districts across the country. Great City School districts that have embraced the challenge of educating America's urban children have recognized the value of benchmarking their performance and growth against the progress of others.…

Studies on the relationship between student achievement and athletic participation are often limited by availability of specific data. This study provided more accurate data on student performance during times of athletic participation. This study analyzed student grades during the times they were and were not participating in a school sponsored…

Research has shown that student access and achievement in advanced precollege chemistry has been largely inequitable when considering certain demographic factors. In this nonexperimental observational study, an intersectional analysis of ethnicity and gender was utilized to examine United States student participation and performance (N = 146,610)…

The performance of White students and Hispanic students from California, Texas, and Arizona on the advanced placement (AP) biology exam was compared using archival data from the College Board from 2016 through 2019. Pearson Chi-square tests yielded statistically significant differences in all 4 year comparisons of white and Hispanic students in…

Data at the national, state, and local levels all indicate disproportionately low enrollment of Black/African American students in Advanced Placement (AP) classes at the high school level. Black/African American students are missing out on educational opportunities and access to an equitable education by not participating in AP classes in high…

This quantitative correlational study examines school-level longitudinal outcomes of eighth-grade algebra universal acceleration in 15 U.S. school districts when compared with selective acceleration in 289 school districts. Universally accelerated school districts had higher enrollments, with large effect sizes, in geometry, algebra 2, and…

Black students are the most underrepresented in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), Advanced Placement (AP), honors, dual enrollment (DE), and other programs for advanced learners (Ford, 2011, 2013; Hines, 2024; Hines, Fletcher et al., 2022). However, accelerated learners, particularly Black students, are usually seen as individuals who…

This qualitative study aimed to explore the development of self-concept in adolescents attending schools for students with high abilities, interviewing 28 adolescents from two centers for students with high abilities in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. Using a thematic analysis approach, the data were analyzed across four categories…

Honors classes in secondary schools are designed to provide advanced learning opportunities for both identified gifted students and high-potential students. They also serve as a bridge to AP/IB classes or other advanced coursework. Beyond preparing students for future courses, honors classes can play a role in talent development by supporting…

Admissions officers practicing holistic admissions judge students' course taking based on what was available to them, yet how representatives learn about students' high school context and subsequently evaluate students' course rigor within it remains underexamined. Using signaling theory and effectively maintaining the inequality framework, we…

As gifted and advanced level leaders move to increasing efforts of inclusivity in their programs, there is a need to use evaluative measures focusing on equity for systemic change and growth. Equity Audits can provide leaders with a holistic perspective of their programming and how they can use the data to shift the culture, identify inequities…

Gaps in advanced high school coursework by socioeconomic status and geography persist in the United States, even among students with the ability and access to succeed in them. Lack of information on course availability and inaccurate self-perceptions may contribute to these inequities. We report on a large-scale experiment designed to increase…

Background: The underrepresentation of Black and Latinx students in STEM is highlighted due to structural impediments. Although AP mathematics classes are being introduced as a solution, students from underprivileged schools continue to confront challenges. The study project seeks to investigate the obstacles associated with teaching AP…