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The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in advanced courseperformance between students who met the listed prerequisite to enrollment and thosewho did not meet the listed prerequisite to enrollment. Students were selected for thestudy based on completion of an advanced mathematics course or advanced sciencecourse that had a performance level for the listed prerequisite course. The sample wastaken from high school students of the Shawnee Mission School District from the 2010-2011 school year through the 2014-2015 school year. This research study was designedusing quantitative, quasi-experimental methods. Chi-square tests of independence wereused to determine the difference between students who met the prerequisite courseperformance level for enrollment in an advanced math or science course and those whodid not meet the prerequisite performance level. There was a statistically significantresult indicating students who met the enrollment criteria performed better in Algebra 2Honors, College Algebra/Trigonometry, and Environmental Education 1. There was astatistically significant result indicating students who met the enrollment criteriaperformed better in Precalculus Honors and Statistics Honors/Advanced Placement;however, it should be noted the test was conducted after collapsing the dependentvariable from five to two categories to prevent violation of the expected frequenciesassumption. There was a statistically significant result indicating students who met theenrollment criteria performed better in Differential Equations Honors, Biology 2Honors/Advanced Placement, Chemistry 2 Honors/Advanced Placement, andEnvironmental Education 2; however, these results could be compromised due toviolation of the expected frequency assumption during the chi-square analysis, even aftercollapsing the dependent variable from five to two categories. The test statistic could not be calculated for students in Geometry Honors due to the extremely low observedfrequencies. All of the courses reviewed, except Geometry Honors, revealed studentswho did not meet the enrollment criteria yet still earned a grade of A in the advancedcourse. The implications of this study show it is critical for parents, students, teachers,and school leaders to work together to provide students opportunities in advancedcoursework, whether they have met the enrollment criteria or not. Recommendations forfurther research include qualitative studies related to the students not meeting criteria forenrollment yet still being successful in the advanced courses and study of gradingpractice differences between teachers and schools. |
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