Students who make adequate yearly progress in grade-level mathematics courses should expect to pass the mathematics portion of their high school exit exam on the first attempt. Expectation theory states that teachers' beliefs about their own students are an important factor in students' success. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) mathematics pass rates with respect to (a) participation in a 2-hour algebra course, (b) promotion and retention, and (c) low socio-economic status (SED). Data used in this study were gathered from the transcripts of students in the class of 2011 who were enrolled at one California high school for their freshman and sophomore years and who took the CAHSEE exam in their sophomore year. Group mean CAHSEE scores were calculated and subsequently compared using independent-measures t-tests. In a comparison by algebra course type, results indicated that the CAHSEE pass rate was lowest for SED students in the 2-hour block. The second analysis examining retention demonstrated that students who repeated their ninth grade mathematics course failed CAHSEE at statistically higher rates than those who did not repeat. The final analysis confirmed that the 2-hour block algebra course was as successful as the 1-hour course in promoting students to geometry. The results of this study are informative for educators who are tasked with developing affordable, results driven interventions in order to increase CAHSEE pass rates and graduation rates. This study facilitates social change through the increase in high school graduation rates which leads to lower unemployment and crime rates, increased lifetime earning potential and improved college going rates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]