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Title: Do Stricter High School Math Requirements Raise College STEM Attainment?
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2014
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Abstract: Over the past three decades, states have been increasing high school math curriculum requirements with a major goal of improving students college attainment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Using data from the 2009-2012 American Community Survey, this paper examines the impact of stricter high school math curriculum requirements on STEM degree completion. I exploit cross-state variation in the timing of requirement increases on the number of years of math courses required for high school graduation from two waves of nationwide math reforms, the first in the 1980s, and the second in more recent years. I find that the average rate of STEM degree completion increased by about four percent after states adopted stricter high school math curriculum requirements. However, there was a considerable amount of variation in treatment effects across the population. Math reforms in the 1980s substantially increased STEM degree completion of traditionally underrepresented groups, particularly black and Hispanic males, and white females. By contrast, the more recent reforms disproportionally benefited white males, but had little impact on other groups. For both waves of reforms, I find no significant changes in the composition of students graduating from high school and attending college. However, there were negative impacts on non-STEM degree completion, suggesting that stricter high school math curriculum requirements might have shifted students away from non-STEM fields into STEM fields.
Url: http://humancapital.cufe.edu.cn/en1/uploads/soft/141019/1_1445017301.pdf
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Authors: Jia, Ning
Publisher: University of Notre Dame
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Education, Other
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