The Impact of Shifting Demographics on High-School Performance in STEM Subjects, Interests in College Majors and Career Occupations, and College and Career Readiness

• Activity Number: 362
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): Edwin Ndum* and Krista Mattern
• Companies: ACT, Inc. and ACT, Inc.
• Keywords: Ethnicity, Income, Gender ; Disability, Extracurricular Activities, Distance from College ; Parental education, English as a second language ; Mathematics, Science, STEM, College Major, Occupation ; Trends, Performance ; College and Career Readiness

Abstract

As stakeholders set educational goals for high schools and colleges, information on demographics and performance would supplement better, and more impactful, decision-making. In its 2010 census report, the U.S. Census Bureau projected an overall increase in the percentage of Hispanics relative to other ethnic groups. Also, income disparities in the U.S. have been widely reported. This study examined trends in the demographics of ACT-tested high school students from 2000 to 2014 and effects on key academic outcomes. Characteristics considered include gender, income, ethnicity, disability status, and number of extracurricular activities. Academic outcomes examined include performance on STEM subjects (Science and Mathematics), interests in STEM majors and occupations, and college and career readiness. Data consisted of more than 11 million students from 13,396 high schools in the West, Midwest, Northeast, and South regions of the United States. As the community becomes more diverse and employers struggle to fill STEM-related jobs, the findings provide information on the direction of, and gaps in, STEM majors and careers, and the college and career readiness of high school students.