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The purpose of the present study was to examine how Advanced Placement (AP) course participation influences the postsecondary persistence of Black students compared to other commonly examined factors, using a nine-predictor logistic regression model. We extracted data from the 2012/14 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:12/14). Black students represented 13.9 percent (N = 3475) of the BPS:12/14 student sample. Our research focused on Black students and considers the effect of their intersecting characteristics on persistence in postsecondary settings. The results suggest that AP courses have a statistically significant positive effect on their odds of college persistence (OR = 1.67). Specifically, compared to student GPA (OR = 1.68), AP course participation had the largest effect on student persistence in postsecondary education. The present study contributes to the literature by providing group-specific effect size benchmark data to characterize the impact of unique factors on the persistence of Black students in postsecondary education. These data have the potential to support meta-analytic thinking as well as policy and praxis to support the postsecondary retention of Black students.

This study examines the impact of early Algebra I coursework on advanced Carnegie credits among 12th graders from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, using data from the NCES HSTS (1990-2019). Findings indicate that early Algebra students, particularly Black and Latinx, earn more advanced credits, revealing a widening gap in advanced course attainment. The study underscores the importance of early Algebra in college readiness and STEM preparation, highlighting the need for interventions to address educational disparities. Future research should explore additional factors influencing college readiness.

The relationship between academic tracking and exclusionary discipline actions has only been studied in a limited number of empirical studies. By placing students at the lower strata, schools deprive them of the educational opportunities, widening the educational opportunity gap in a process we define as "opportunity stratification." Using a quantitative analysis of data from the Educational Longitudinal Study, we found students in low-track, non-college preparatory courses had higher odds of experiencing both in-school and out-of-school suspensions when compared to students in the high-track, college preparatory courses. Our findings support the intersecting role of exclusionary discipline and tracking in opportunity stratification.

Research has proven that when students are tracked and experience some form of exclusionary discipline, their risk of dropping out of school increases significantly. These effects are compounded for students from low socioeconomic households and students of color. However, there exists a gap in the literature concerning how tracking in specific subjects (mathematics) can influence disciplinary outcomes for students. This study uses the theoretical framework of intersectionality to examine the influence of mathematics tracking while taking into consideration students' identity (socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and gender), on their likelihood of receiving an in-school suspension (ISS). To examine the effects, we asked the research question: Does tracking in mathematics influence the likelihood of students receiving an ISS in the eleventh grade based on their race/ethnicity, gender, and SES identity? Using both logistic regressions with a reference group and single group, we found that enrollment in a non-advanced course in the eleventh grade for Asian boys and girls, Latinx girls, multiracial boys and girls, and White boys and girls increased ISS odds more than their racial and SES identity. This study concludes with recommendations for educators seeking to eliminate tracking in secondary schools.