Advanced placement (AP) physics performance is an important metric for examining precollege student preparation for post-secondary study. The present study examined potential predictors of AP Physics 1 performance including gender, teacher, and school-level characteristics. A theoretical framework proposed teacher preparation and experiential…

Access and performance in advanced high school physics have been persistently inequitable when considering student ethnicity and gender. This quasiexperimental, observational study examined access and performance of students in four Advanced Placement (AP) Physics courses in 2018-2019: AP Physics 1 (N = 150 451), AP Physics 2 (N = 20 466), AP…

In 2018, in response to the proposed elimination of physics at a predominately Hispanic and socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) high school, the Northern California/Nevada chapter of the AAPT investigated school demographics and their effect on physics offerings in public high schools in our region. As access was a key issue, the focus was on…

This research is comprised of a three-part examination of equity, access, achievement, and learning in precollege physics. The first study examined teacher-level and school-level predictors of student performance in physics, with a focus on isolated teachers in New York during the 2016-17 academic year. Results indicated 40% of physics teachers…

Equitable access to advanced science coursework paired with highly qualified teachers is vital to improving the performance and persistence of students in STEM, particularly students traditionally underrepresented in related fields. This dissertation explored predictors of high school physics and chemistry teacher retention, as well as…

The Advanced Placement® (AP®) Program offers high school students the opportunity to take rigorous coursework in high school and receive college credit for AP Exam scores that meet or exceed the requirements of their attending institution. Students receiving AP credit are typically exempted from an introductory level course or series of courses…

This mixed method research study set out to address the central problem statement of whether the Advanced Placement (AP) program results in higher academic growth and college preparedness than other rigorous course work. To understand and address this problem statement an explanatory sequential mixed method design was used (Creswell & Plano…

Over the past decade, the field of teacher professional learning has coalesced around core characteristics of high quality professional development experiences (e.g. Borko, Jacobs, & Koellner, 2010. Contemporary approaches to teacher professional development. In P. L. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), "International encyclopedia…

The Advanced Placement® (AP®) Program offers high school students the opportunity to take rigorous coursework in high school and receive college credit for AP Exam scores that meet or exceed the requirements of their attending institution. Students receiving AP credit are typically exempted from an introductory level course or series of courses…

Presented at the Advanced Placement Annual Conference (APAC) in Las Vegas, July 2007. This presentation explores the demographic and course-taking patterns that have been identified behind what students take AP exams and how to best reach the population of students that are not currently taking AP exams.