Algebra I Coursetaking and Postsecondary Enrollment

The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is a nationally representative, longitudinal study of over 23,000 9th-graders in 2009. This study follows students throughout their secondary and postsecondary years assessing student trajectories, major fields of study, and career paths. The Base Year collection occurred in 2009, with a First Follow-up in 2012 and a Second Follow-up in 2016. The 2016 survey included questions about when students last took Algebra I and whether they had ever enrolled in postsecondary education by the end of February 2016. Notable findings from this Data Point include: Students who last took Algebra I during grade 9 enrolled in postsecondary education at greater frequencies than students who last took Algebra I in grade 10 or in grades 11 or 12. A higher percentage of Asian students last took Algebra 1 before grade 9 (54 percent) than did White (33 percent), Hispanic (23 percent), or Black (15 percent) students.