The Effect Of High Rigor Coursework On Indicators Of Postsecondary Success

Significance/relevance: By the Year 2018, almost two-thirds of jobs created in the United States will require some form of post-secondary education (Carnevale, A., Smith, N., & Strohl, J., 2010). Additionally, a rigorous high school curriculum is a strong predictor of college success and is positively related to standardized test scores, college enrollment rates, four-year graduation rates and negatively related to remediation rates (Long, Conger, & Iatarola, 2012; Wyatt, Patterson, & Di Giacomo, 2015). Additionally, students taking high rigor coursework receive several benefits in their postsecondary careers as college students including the ability to prove to universities that they have the ability to succeed in high-rigor courses, improvement of writing skills and problem-solving skills, the development of study habits necessary for college and the possibility of earning college credit while in high school (Reid & Moore, 2008; Welton & Martinez, 2014). Theoretical framework: The purpose of this research is to provide information to the district to determine if they are preparing students for post-secondary success. The principal research question that this research looks to answer is: “Do students who participate in high rigor coursework increase their odds of 1) enrolling in college immediately after high school 2) persisting in college through