Racial Differences in High School Math Track Assignment

Curriculum tracking continues as an entrenched part of schooling despite a substantial amount of research that shows educational advantages for college-track students and disadvantages for non-college-track students. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the odds of being in the college and honors math tracks in high school and was primarily interested in the role that pre-high school composition factors and student coursework played in influencing that relationship. Prior math achievement, pre-high school composition factors, and student coursework all played roles in explaining racial/ethnic differences in track placement, but their influence varied by group.