Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Panel: Course-Taking and High School Student Outcomes

(Education)

American high schools must realize multiple goals for their students – preparing some for admission to selective colleges, others for career and technical education, and still others for direct entrance into the working world. The 2015 reauthorization of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), affirmed the diverse functions of high school by focusing on graduation rates as a measure of success. Unlike in grades 3-8, where annual testing in math and reading achievement is still mandated, states must assess high school achievement in math and reading only once to satisfy federal accountability requirements. ESSA also permits states to define high school academic achievement, allowing the use of national exams, such as the ACT or SAT, to replace standards-based assessments. The papers in this panel bring new evidence on student achievement and course-taking in high schools. The first paper presents descriptive data showing stagnant high school achievement on national assessments, even as student achievement has increased in elementary and middle school grades. The next two papers examine the role of high school coursework, assessing patterns of student achievement and follow-on coursework using administrative data on online coursework in Florida and math coursework in Michigan. The final paper assesses the impact of variation in guidance counselor caseload on student outcomes, including academic achievement. In line with the 2016 conference theme, this panel aims to better understand existing and historical patterns of student achievement in American high schools, with the goal of engaging policy makers as they redefine academic accountability for high schools under ESSA.