| This longitudinal study examines the effects on student achievement and later advanced math study when all students in a diverse suburban school district were given the high-track accelerated math curriculum in heterogeneously grouped middle school classes. Scholars of international studies in mathematics (SIMS, TIMSS) have concluded that the repetitive, unchallenging curriculum of the majority of American middle schools should be replaced with an algebra-based course taught in eighth grade heterogeneous classes. This study used a quasi-experimental, quantitative cohort design to (1) compare the high school advanced math courses studied by pre- and post-universal-acceleration cohort members and (2) examine the achievement effects of heterogeneous grouping on initial high achievers on the New York State Sequential I Regents examination, an algebra-based examination created by the state's Education Department.; The study found that after universal acceleration, (1) far more students of all initial achievement levels studied accelerated math courses during high school, and (2) there was an increase in the probability of students of all initial achievement levels completing advanced math courses (trigonometry through advanced placement calculus). These findings were also confirmed for African American or Latino students and low-SES students. For all subgroups of sufficient size, the increases were statistically significant. This study also found that since the high-track curriculum was taught, the performance of initial high achievers on the Sequential I Regents examination did not differ statistically when they studied in heterogeneous classes. Furthermore, even initial high achievers benefited from universal acceleration in that the probability of their studying advanced math in high school significantly increased. These findings suggest that de-tracking is beneficial for students of all initial achievement levels if the high-track curriculum is provided. This study also discusses the context of the reform, including the culture, belief system, and leadership of the district as well as the implementation process. These findings have implications for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who wish to help all students reach high learning standards as well as for closing the achievement gap in mathematics. |
