Math course taking and achievement among secondary students with disabilities: Exploring the gap in achievement between students with and without disabilities.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to extend school effects research to explore the influence of specific school-level factors on the math course-taking behaviors of students with disabilities and to determine whether the level of math courses taken affects the math achievement of students with disabilities. I also sought to examine these effects relative to the performance of students without disabilities. I analyzed school and student level data for 6,398 students in 608 schools from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. Using a 2-level hierarchical linear model, I found that school composition and curriculum structure affect the average 12th grade math achievement of students with disabilities. I also found an association between curriculum structure and advanced math course-taking by students with disabilities. I discuss the implications of these findings on policy and future research.