Math Course Sequences in Grades 6-11 and Math Achievement in Mississippi. REL 2019-007
Author: Koon, Sharon
Date: 2019-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Mathematics Instruction,Mathematics Achievement,Grade 6,Grade 7,Grade 8,Grade 9,Grade 10,Grade 11,Algebra,Geometry,College Readiness,Student Characteristics,Middle School Students,Middle School Mathematics,High School Students,Secondary School Mathematics,College Entrance Examinations,Academic Standards,At Risk Students,State Departments of Education,Public Schools,College Mathematics,Tables (Data),Gender Differences,Racial Differences,Predictor Variables

Description: Effective with the 2014/15 school year, Mississippi adopted new academic standards and courses aligned to these new standards. The new courses included both a subject-specific mathematics sequence (that is, algebra I, geometry, and algebra II) as well as an integrated mathematics sequence (that is, integrated I, integrated II, and integrated III). In addition to differences in course content, students also could elect to begin their sequences at different grades (for example, algebra in grade 8 versus grade 9) and complete their sequences in different order. The Mississippi Department of Education is interested in understanding the student and school demographic profiles by mathematics sequences (for example, integrated versus subject specific) which were followed under these new course options. Findings from this study will provide this information and will inform professional development activities at the state and school district levels for individuals responsible for advising students and for providing mathematics instruction, facilitate discussions across districts with similar demographic profiles but differences in mathematics sequences and mathematics achievement, and, if needed, help determine the likely number of students who would be affected by future changes to the approved courses list in Mississippi. Research Questions: The study will be guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the mathematics sequences taken by students who started grade 9 in 2014/15?; (2) How are mathematics sequences related to student demographic characteristics for students who started grade 9 in 2014/15?; and (3) How are mathematics sequences related to college-ready performance on the American College Testing (ACT) Mathematics for students who started grade 9 in 2014/15? Study Design: The statistical package &quot;TraMineR&quot; will be used to both identify and group similar mathematics sequences taken by students, and then examine how the sequences are related to explanatory factors (for example, gender, race/ethnicity) in correlational analyses. Associations between mathematics sequence and college-ready performance will be modeled using multilevel logistic regression analyses. The sample for this study includes students who entered high school in 2014/15 in the Mississippi public school system under the state's new mathematics standards and continued enrollment through grade 11 in 2016/17. [For the study snapshot &quot;Math Course Sequences in Grades 6-11 and Math Achievement in Mississippi. Study Snapshot. REL 2019-007,&quot; see ED597300. For the appendix &quot;Math Course Sequences in Grades 6-11 and Math Achievement in Mississippi. Appendix. REL 2019-007,&quot; see ED597301.]