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Michigan has vast inequities in access to advanced coursework, according to a new report that says students of color, students with disabilities, students from low income homes, and students in rural and urban communities are missing out the most.
The report, released Monday by the Education Trust-Midwest, urges lawmakers and school officials to do more to address the lack of access to Advanced Placement, dual enrollment in college-level courses, and career and technical education classes.
The inequities exist despite evidence that access benefits students, Charlotte Pierce, senior policy analyst at the Royal Oak-based policy and research organization, told Chalkbeat in a recent interview about the report.
“When students are given access to rigorous coursework that leads to increased engagement, fewer absences and suspensions, and higher graduation rates. But we know for too many Michigan students, access is out of reach,” Pierce said.
The research organization’s analysis of available data found that Michigan’s wealthier school districts have, on average, over seven times more AP course options than the highest poverty districts, and that students with the greatest needs also enroll in AP coursework at lower rates than their peers.
“This disparity is troubling, and it comes with consequences: fewer AP opportunities means less competitive college applications and college credit-earning opportunities,” Pierce wrote in the report.
Other findings:
- Far fewer Michigan students are enrolled in dual enrollment classes compared to national rates. Also, students of color made up 22% of students enrolled in dual enrollment courses, but they comprised 34% of Michigan’s high school enrollment during the 2021-22 school year, the most recent year data was available for the analysis.
- Students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities pass Algebra 1 at lower rates than the state average.
An example of the Algebra 1 finding: Just 64% of Black students passed Algebra 1 by the 10th grade during the 2021-22 school year. The statewide average was 74%.
The Algebra 1 statistic is important because the class is usually taken during the ninth grade “as a gateway to future opportunities” and is directly linked to success in advanced math, Pierce said.
The report offers a number of recommendations for addressing the inequities. One of them suggests schools automatically enroll qualified students in advanced classes, requiring the students to opt out if they want.
“Using an ‘opt-out’ policy rather than ‘opt-in’ process reduces the risk of gatekeeping practices that can inhibit qualified students from enrolling in courses they would succeed in,” Pierce wrote.
Here are a few of the other recommendations:
- The state should automatically waive fees for students to take AP, International Baccalaureate, and College-Level Examination Program exams for students enrolled in the highest-poverty school districts in Michigan.
- The state should invest resources in expanding dual enrollment capacity in Michigan high schools, especially in districts with the highest concentrations of poverty.
- The state should make completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) a graduation requirement.
The organization also calls for the state to increase the school counselor pipeline so districts can hire more of them. Currently, Michigan counselors have caseloads well above the national average.
“The role that school counselors play is vital in shaping post secondary pathways, especially for students with the greatest needs and first generation college-going students. But Michigan schools lack the counseling capacity to adequately serve their students.”
“If we are serious about expanding access to rigorous coursework, we have to start by
investing in the educators and counselors who make that access possible,” Curtis L. Lewis, founder/president of Boldly Moving Education Ahead, an advocacy group that pushes for equitable education. “When teachers are supported and students have consistent guidance, we see stronger engagement, higher achievement, and more young people prepared for what comes next.”
Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.
