MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE COURSE TAKING PATTERNS (PROPOSAL)

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Mathematics And Science Course Taking Patterns In Some Hawaii High Schools And Its Relations To College Success(Proposal)

Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION5

1.1Credit Measures of Coursetaking7

1.2 Pipeline Measures of Coursetaking9

1.2.2 Validity of the Measures15

1.3 Description of the Present Study16

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE SURVEY21

TRENDS IN MATHEMATICS COURSETAKING: 2006-201021

2.1 Overall Trends in Mathematics Coursetaking22

2.2 Trends in Mathematics Coursetaking Among Student Subgroups23

2.2.1 Sex23

2.2.2 Race/Ethnicity25

2.2.3 Socioeconomic Status29

2.2.4 Educational Expectations32

2.2.5 School Sector35

2.3 Mathematics Coursetaking Summary38

TRENDS IN SCIENCE COURSETAKING: 2006-201040

3.1 Overall Trends in Science Coursetaking41

3.2 Trends in Science Coursetaking Among Student Subgroups42

3.2.1 Sex42

3.2.2 Race/Ethnicity44

3.2.3 Socioeconomic Status47

3.2.4 Educational Expectations49

3.2.5 School Sector53

3.3 Science Coursetaking Summary56

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY60

CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSIONS64

REFERENCES67

CHAPTER 1 Introduction

Strong quantitative and analytical skills are increasingly important for youth who will be working in an economy that will be technical in nature and global in scope. Yet cross-national research on mathematics and science achievement indicates that American youth in middle or high school grades are not faring as well as some of their international peers. For example, the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) finds that 15-year-old students in the United States rank 24th of 29 nations in problem solving and mathematics literacy (Lemke et al.2010). In science, while research indicates that U.S. middle school students are above the international achievement average (tied for 9th out of 44 nations) and have been gaining in recent years (Gonzales et al. 2010), some U.S. policymakers continue to express concern about the achievement and long-term competitiveness of its students in science (National Science Board 2006)(Comparative Data on Credits Earned and Demographics, 2004).

In response to concerns that students leave high school underprepared in mathematics and science, many states have increased their requirements for graduation. For example, between 2007 and 2010, the number of states requiring at least 2.5 credits in mathematics grew from 12 to 26, and the number of states requiring at least 2.5 credits in science grew from 6 to 23 (Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO] 2005). In 2010, 17 states required specific courses in math and 23 states required specific courses in science to graduate. These requirements appear to be reflected in high school student course taking (CCSSO 2005). Research using high school transcript data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that high school students have been taking a greater number of academic courses over the past 15 years (Legume et al. 2008; Levesque et al. 2000; National Commission on Excellence in Education 2003; Perkins et al. 2010; U.S. Department of Education 2000)(Burkam, 2003).

Statement of the problem

However, important questions remain about the ...