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Advanced Course Taking in the MERC Region

in SY 2018-19

Preliminary Analysis from the EASAC Study

Secondary data team

Erica Ross, Chin-Chih Chen, David Naff, & Brandon-Lee Lucas

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MERC EASAC TEAM

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

Chin-Chin Chen, Counseling and Special Education

Tomika Ferguson, Educational Leadership

Alison Koenka, Foundations of Education

David Naff, MERC/Foundations of Education

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

George Hewan, Counseling and Special Education

Jenna Lenhardt, VCU SOE Dean’s Office

Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Educational Leadership

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MERC

EASAC Study

Team

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Chesterfield County Schools

Morgan Saxby, Teacher, Robious Elementary School

Adrienne Blanton, Principal, L.C. Bird High School

Carolyn Waters, ESL Teacher at Falling Creek Middle School

Goochland County Public Schools

Beth Fowler, Advanced Programs and Equity Specialist

Renee Ferrell, Director of School Counseling, Goochland High School

Olivia Exum, AP Spanish Teacher, Goochland High School

Andy Armstrong, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations

Hanover County Public Schools

Tyrontay Nichols, English Teacher, Patrick Henry High School

Emily Garcia, Counselor, Mechanicsville High School

Connie Foreman, School Board Office

Henrico County Public Schools

Rich Ashburn, Gifted Resource Teacher, Adams Elementary, Harvie Elementary, and Laburnum Elementary

John Marshall, Principal, Douglas Freeman High School

Greg Lyndaker, History Teacher, Henrico High School

Petersburg City Public Schools

Gwen Price, Director of Research, Testing, and Evaluation

Decardra Jackson, STEM Coordinator

Powhatan County Public Schools

Tanja Atkins-Nelson, Principal, Flat Rock Elementary School

Xenia Cornick, Division School Social Worker

Richmond City Public Schools

Candace Veney-Chapin, Manager of College and Career Pathways

Camilla Battle, Counselor, John Marshall High School

Laura Faulcon, Manager of Alternative Education

Carmen Ward, Director of Counseling, Armstrong High School

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Research Questions

What are the trends, patterns, and disparities in advanced course taking in the MERC region?

Who are enrolled in advanced courses in the MERC region?

Who receives gifted and talented services in elementary school?
Who takes algebra I in middle school?
Who takes advanced placement in high school?

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Data

●VLDS 2018 School Year

●Outcome Variables

○Identified as Gifted in elementary school

○Advanced Math Course in Middle School

○Enrolled in AP in high school

●Independent Variables

○Gender (M/F)

○Race/Ethnicity (Asian/ Black or African American/ Hispanic/ White/ Other)

○English Learner Status (Non-EL/ EL)

○Economically Disadvantaged (ED) (Non-ED/ED)

○Disability Status (No Disability/Disability)

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Demographics in SY 2018-19 (3rd-12th, N~=128,000)

Variable	Label	Number	Percentage (%)
Gender	Female	62,431	48.67
	Male	65,841	51.33
Race/Ethnicity	Asian	6,430	5.01
	Black	43,082	33.59
	Hispanic	16,420	12.8
	White	56,676	44.18
	Other	5664	4.42
English Leaner (ELs)	non-ELs	116,165	90.56
	ELs	12,107	9.44
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	non-ED	72,857	56.8
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	ED	55,415	43.2
Disabilities	No disabilities	105,482	82.23
	disabilities	22,790	17.77

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What students are being identified as gifted?

Variable	Label	Number	Percentage (%)
Gender	Female	2,286	12.25
	Male	2,430	12.33
Race/Ethnicity	Asian	594	28.45
	Black	729	5.67
	Hispanic	266	4.94
	White	2,879	17.79
	Other	248	13.27
English Leaner (ELs)	non-ELs	4,493	13.47
	ELs	223	4.45
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	non-ED	3,907	19.33
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	ED	809	4.46
Disabilities	No disabilities	4,466	14.12
	disabilities	250	3.71

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What are the odds of being identified as gifted?

More likely

Less likely

The variables that are significant do not cross the red dotted line (everything except American Indian);

Purple line with doubled arrow -->less likely

Red line with doubled arrow-- > more likely

Male students have greater odds of being identified as gifted and talented than female students. They are 1.11 times more likely to be identified as gifted than female students (with all other variables held constant)

Race --

Disadvantaged--

disabilities-- students with disabilities have lower odds of being identified as gifted and talented than those without disabilities. They are one fourth (.25 times) likely to be identified as gifted than others (with all other variables held constant)

The reference categories for this analysis include being white, female, not being an english language learner, and not receiving exceptional education services. The variables that are significant do not cross the red line (everything except American Indian). his could be interpreted as Asian students have a 149% higher odds than white students of being identified as gifted. Hispanic students have a 59% lower odds than white students, Black students have a 71% lower odds than white students, ELL students have a 73% lower odds than non ELL students, students with a disability have a 75% lower odds than students that do not of being identified as gifted.

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Who took Algebra I in middle school?

Variable	Label	Number	Percentage (%)
Gender	Female	4,237	22.49
	Male	4,025	20.2
Race/Ethnicity	Asian	562	29.41
	Black	2,040	15.57
	Hispanic	1,013	20.09
	White	4,271	25.22
	Other	376	21.43
English Leaner (ELs)	non-ELs	7,607	21.84
	ELs	655	16.65
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	non-ED	5,349	25.15
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	ED	2,913	16.64
Disabilities	No disabilities	7,368	23.19
	disabilities	894	12.79

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What are the odds of taking Algebra I in middle school?

More likely

Less likely

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What students are enrolled in AP in highschool?

Variable	Label	Number	Percentage (%)
Gender	Female	6,599	26.47
	Male	5,116	19.52
Race/Ethnicity	Asian	921	37.89
	Black	2,182	12.74
	Hispanic	715	11.92
	White	7,405	31.43
	Other	492	24.31
English Leaner (ELs)	non-ELs	11,598	24.17
	ELs	117	3.71
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	non-ED	9,609	30.62
Economically Disadvantaged (ED)	ED	2,106	10.66
Disabilities	No disabilities	11,118	26.42
	disabilities	597	6.59

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What are the odds of taking advanced placement in high school?

More likely

Less likely

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Guiding Discussion

What are the implications of this work for policy and practice?
What questions did this work raise that we want to pursue in the future?
How does this work connect to the theme of the promise of public education?
Next step in secondary data analysis?