A new UCLA Los Angeles Education Research Institute report examines whether taking math in twelfth grade affects Los Angeles Unified students’ STEM college course-taking and academic achievement. The study also looks at whether specific courses such as Calculus or Statistics are especially beneficial for postsecondary success.
Key facts
- The report is ERIC record ED660077, published as a non-journal research report.
- It focuses on Los Angeles Unified students in California.
- The study examines twelfth-grade math course-taking and later STEM college outcomes.
- It also investigates whether Calculus or Statistics are more beneficial than other math options.
- The report is authored by Leonard Wainstein, Carrie E. Miller, Meredith Phillips, Kyo Yamashiro, and Tatiana Melguizo.
What does this mean for students and schools?
For high school students, especially those planning to continue into college STEM coursework, the report centers attention on senior-year math choices. It is aimed at understanding whether taking math in grade 12 is connected with stronger readiness for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics studies after high school.
For schools and counselors, the research points to a practical question: which twelfth-grade math courses may better support later college success. Because the report specifically compares course types such as Calculus and Statistics, it may inform how districts think about upper-secondary math pathways for students headed to community colleges or four-year colleges.
- Audience: Los Angeles Unified students and educators.
- Setting: California, with a focus on Los Angeles.
- Topic: twelfth-grade math course selection and postsecondary STEM outcomes.
What did the report study?
The report examines the impact of taking a math course in twelfth grade on STEM college course-taking and academic achievement among Los Angeles Unified students. It also asks whether particular math courses are especially useful for postsecondary success.
Which courses are singled out?
The abstract specifically names Calculus and Statistics as examples of the kinds of courses the researchers compared. The report also includes algebra among its descriptors, but the stated focus is on whether particular twelfth-grade math courses help students after high school.
Who wrote and sponsored the report?
The report lists Leonard Wainstein, Carrie E. Miller, Meredith Phillips, Kyo Yamashiro, and Tatiana Melguizo as authors. It was issued by UCLA’s Los Angeles Education Research Institute and sponsored by the College Futures Foundation.
