New longitudinal study of ninth-graders

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Half of America’s ninth-graders took Algebra 1 (51 percent) and 22 percent took geometry. This First Look report presents initial findings from the base year of a new longitudinal study of a nationally representative cohort of ninth-graders in the fall of 2009 and will follow the students through postsecondary education and the world of work. The base year data focused on students’ transitions into high school, especially their decisions about courses and plans for postsecondary education and careers. Other findings include:

• About 86 percent of ninth-graders were proficient in understanding algebraic expressions, 18 percent were proficient at understanding systems of equations, and 9 percent were proficient at understanding linear functions, both of which are more advanced topics within algebra.

• Of students whose parents hold a master’s degree or higher, 44 percent were in the top quintile of math performance and 5 percent in the bottom quintile. Of students whose parents have earned a high school diploma or equivalent, 15 percent were in the top quintile and 24 percent were in the bottom quintile of performance on the assessment.

• At this age, about 22% of students did not report any educational expectations, while 39% report expecting to earn a graduate or professional degree. More female ninth-graders than male ninth-graders expect to obtain a graduate or professional degree (44% versus 35%). More socioeconomically advantaged ninth-graders expect to earn a graduate or professional degree than their peers in the lowest socioeconomic stratum (56% versus 27%). Over half – 53% of Asian students and 52% of Black students – report that they definitely can complete college, compared to 40% of Hispanic students and 49% of white students who report the same confidence.