Differential Coursework and Grades in High School: Implications for Performance on the ACT Assessment

ACT Research Report Series89-5Differential Coursework and Grades in High School: Implications for Performance on the ACT AssessmentJulie IMoble Terry MclMabbAugust 1989 For additional copies write: ACT Research Report Series P.O. Box 168 Iowa City, Iowa 52243©1989 by The American College Testing Program. Ail rights reserved. DIFFERENTIAL COURSEWORK AND GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL; IMPLICATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE ON THE ACT ASSESSMENTJulie Noble and Terry McNabb ABSTRACTThis report examines Che relationship between the number and type of college preparatory courses students take, their grades in those courses, and their ACT test scores. Of particular interest is the impact of differential course taking on the ACT scores of sex and racial/ethnic subgroups.Regression models were developed for the five ACT scores using the expanded course transcript information from the Course Grade Information Section of the ACT Assessment, and selected background variables. A random sample of the ACT-tested graduating class of 1987 was selected for the study; junior and senior data were analyzed separately. Separate analyses by racial/ethnic and sex subgroups were also conducted to determine the relative contribution of each independent variable to the model. An additional analysis determined the reduction in the differences in ACT scores for sex and racial/ethnic groups when high school curricula, performance, and background characteristics were held constant. DIFFERENTIAL COURSEWORK AND GRADES IN HIGH SCHOOL:IMPLICATIONS FOR PERFORMANCE ON THE ACT ASSESSMENTNot since the 1950s has the American educational system been the focus of so much consternation, criticism, and commentary. Much of this concern centers on the high school curriculum; critics ask. whether students are being adequately prepared to cope with both the demands of postsecondary education and the complexity of an increasingly technological society. This question has been answered with a resounding "No" by several major studies, including the Carnegie Commission's report on secondary education (Boyer, 1983) and the National Commission on Excellence in Education's "A Nation at Risk: TheImperative on Educational Reform" (1983).The nation's response to these highly critical reports, while not swift, has been consistent. Many states have, for example, legislated more demanding high school graduation requirements, while many others are now doing so. The Condition of Education (1986) reported that as of 1985, 34 states had mandated an increase in the number of required courses by 1 to 8 units. Clearly, the trend seems to be in the direction of increased rigor and renewed emphasis on the "basics" in secondary education.While students' increased ability to cope in society as a result of a more rigorous high school education cannot be directly assessed, it is possible to estimate the likely improvement in certain areas of academic skills and knowledge. In particular, the ACT Assessment college admissions test battery measures academic knowledge and skills that are typically taught in high school and that are considered essential for success in college (ACT, 1987). Consequently, changes in academic preparation should affect performance on tests like the ACT Assessment. The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between the number and type of college-preparatory courses taken by students, their grades in these courses, and their ACT 2scores. Of course, finding that more rigorous coursework is associated with higher ACT scores does not mean that students should be required to take more courses just to obtain higher test scores. Previous research has shown, however, that ACT test performance is related to achievement in college (American College Testing Program, 1987). This should be considered when interpreting the results of this study.Earlier ResearchSeveral studies have examined the relationship between coursetaking patterns and students' performance on college entrance examinations.Alexander and Pallas (1984) found that students who had completed the core curriculum recommended by MA Nation at Risk", and had performed well in those courses, had SAT Total scores at least 50 points higher, on the average, than did students who had not taken these core courses. Pallas and Alexander (1983) explored sex differences in SAT-Mathematics scores as they related to differences in high school coursetaking, and found that the male-female gap in SAT-Mathematics performance decreased from 37 points to 14 points when differences in