Improving Students’ Access to Advanced Coursework

Advanced coursework opportunities can place students on the path toward college and career success. However, Black and Latino students across the country are often denied access to gifted and talented programs in elementary school and Algebra I in middle school. Then, in high school, Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds are not given the opportunities to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual-enrollment programs, which are key in setting students up for success in college and careers. They are also shut out from taking advanced math and STEM courses, limiting their ability to achieve excellence and live the life of their choosing.

This series of work highlights EdTrust’s efforts in ensuring that Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds have access to advanced coursework, because research shows that when they do have access, they thrive. Here, we offer analyses of the data and recommendations for policymakers and education leaders at the federal, state, and school level on how to open the doors of opportunity for underserved students.