Invisible Barriers

Advanced Placement at
Kennedy High School

The

principal at Kennedy High School

wants to know if an invisible barrier
exists that prevents enrollment in
coursework for future college readiness.

Is

there a correlation between taking 9th

grade honors courses and 10th, 11th, 12th,
grade AP courses?

The Problem

Archbald, D., & Farley-Ripple, E. N.. (2012). Predictors of Placement in Lower Level Versus Higher Level High School Mathematics. The High
School Journal, 96(1), 3351. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23275423

Elk, R. V., Steeg, M. V., & Webbink, D. (2011). Does the timing of tracking affect higher education completion? Economics of Education
Review, 30(5), 1009-1021. doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2011.04.014
Gamoran, A. (1992). The variable effects of high school tracking. American Sociological Review, 57(6), 812. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.mnsu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/docview/218795253?accountid=12259
Karlson, K. B.(2015). Expectations on Track?: High School Tracking and Adolescent Educational Expectations. Social Forces 94(1), 115141. Oxford University Press. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from Project MUSE database.
Mackenzie, S. V. (2005). Who Should Make Decisions?: A High School Wrestles With Tracking. Journal of Cases in Educational
Leadership, 8(2), 17-33. doi:10.1177/1555458905280041
Oakes, J., & Guiton, G. (1995). Matchmaking: The Dynamics of High School Tracking Decisions. American Educational Research Journal,
32(1), 3-33. doi:10.3102/00028312032001003
Moller, S., & Stearns, E. (2012). Tracking Success; High School Curricula and Labor Market Outcomes by Race and Gender. Urban
Education, 47(6), 1025-1054. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from http://uex.sagepub.com.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/content/47/6/1025
Siegle, D., Reubenstein, L., & Mitchell, M. (January 2014). Honors Students Perceptions of Their High School Experiences The Influence
of Teachers on Student Motivation. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(1), 35-50. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from
http://gcq.sagepub.com.ezproxy.mnsu.edu/content/58/1/35
Fraja, G. D., & Martnez-Mora, F. (2014). The desegregating effect of school tracking. Journal of Urban Economics, 80, 164-177.
doi:10.1016/j.jue.2014.01.001
Heyns, B. (1978). Making Inequality: The Hidden Curriculum of High School Tracking James E. Rosenbaum. The School Review, 86(2),
271-275. doi:10.1086/443408

Literature Review

Correlation coefficient (r) = 0.466105595

t-test for significance = 7.185061311

The correlation is positive and significant.

The strength of the correlation between kids who take honors
courses in 9th grade and AP courses (later on) is moderate.
The correlation is significant at the 99% confidence level.

Results

Results

1. Further study of the tracking shown by the data

How are students placed in high school honors?

How are AP classes promoted?
What happens if honors classes are eliminated?

2. Data system overhaul

Easily accessible
Examined regularly
In order to make data driven decisions

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