Mathematics and Science: Patterns and Relationships in High School Coursetaking

On June 19, the National Center for Education Statistics released Paths Through Mathematics and Science: Patterns and Relationships in High School Coursetaking, based on 2009 results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study. Results are reported for U.S. public and private high school graduates. This report examines mathematics and science coursetaking in high school by providing a description of coursetaking within each of the mathematics and science subject areas in ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades, as well as by showing the association between early mathematics coursetaking and subsequent science coursetaking. The report also describes coursetaking in engineering and technology, and the associations between coursetaking in these subject areas and in mathematics and science. The results are based on 2009 high school transcripts that are linked to 2009 NAEP mathematics and science 12th grade assessments. Results for the nation reflect the performance of students attending schools identified as: public, private, Bureau of Indian Education, and Department of Defense schools.