Study Finds That for Black High School Students, Boosting Science Requirements May Have a Detrimental Effect on College Enrollment Rates

The Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago has issued a new report which questions the usefulness of increasing science requirements in the predominantly black public school system in Chicago in an effort to better prepare students for college.

The study found that students who were required to take college prep science courses did not improve their overall performance in science classes. In fact, five of six students who took the college prep classes received grades of C or lower. In addition, high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates declined, and for those who did go on to college, persistence rates remained constant.

The report, Passing Through Science: The Effects of Raising Graduation Requirements in Science on Course-Taking and Academic Achievement in Chicago, can be downloaded by clicking here.

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