Does It Matter How the Rigor of High School Coursework Is Measured? Gaps in Coursework Among Students and Across Grades

Abstract

Research shows that the intensity of high school course-taking is related to postsecondary outcomes. However, there are various approaches to measuring the intensity of students’ course-taking. This study presents new measures of coursework intensity that rely on differing levels of quantity and quality of coursework. We used these new indices to provide a current description of variations in high school course-taking across grades and student subgroups using a nationally representative dataset, the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Results showed that for measures emphasizing the quality of coursework the gaps in coursework among underserved students were larger and there was less upward movement in rigor across grades.