| This investigative study was designed to determine whether African American students at a suburban high school were demonstrating academic progress or if their educational progress was dormant. Academic progress was measured through the use of the EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT Assessment standardized tests, while considering various extraneous variables such as, gender, ethnicity, academic tracking placement, socio-economic status, and product or transfer status.; This investigative study involved 216 participants. All were students of junior status and, upon entering high school, had been placed in a particular academic track---honors, college-bound, remedial, or special education.; Six hypotheses were formulated for this study. Results indicated the following: (a) Even though African American students are not performing at the "meets" or "exceeds" ranges (according to the Illinois State Learning Standards) on the Prairie State Achievement Exam, they are demonstrating academic progress as measured by the yearly continuity of the EXPLORE, PLAN, and ACT Assessment standardized tests; (b) African American males are less likely to show academic progress than African American females, in all tracked sub-groups; (c) African American students who have been identified as having low socio-economic status are not performing as well as African American students who have not been identified as having low socio-economic status; (d) Low socio-economic status has a negative impact on academic progress at all levels, except the honors level; (e) Tracked sub-groups show an overrepresentation of African American students in special education and remedial track classes and an underrepresentation in the honors track; (f) and African American students who are products of the district are demonstrating more academic progress than African American students who have transferred into the district.; Results from this study revealed that African American students were demonstrating academic progress. Overall, gender, socio-economic status, and product or transfer status did not have an impact on academic progress among African American students. However, ethnicity did have an impact upon academic progress. Caucasian students demonstrated more academic progress than Hispanic and African American students. |
