In theory, school success depends on individual merit. In practice, however, other factors beyond academic merit influence curricular placement in K-12 education. In U.S. high schools, Black and Latino students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds have fewer opportunities to take high-level courses (e.g., Pre-Calculus and Calculus) relative to peers from the same school with comparable achievement. In other words, non-achievement-based factors underlie the mismatch between students' academic achievement and their curricular placement in high school, factors that are more likely to disfavor Black, Latino, and low-SES students. Still, those non-achievement-based factors influencing curricular placement have remained understudied. The present study fills that research gap by examining three potential precursors of the achievement-placement mismatch in math coursetaking: (1) in-school social status, (2) school belonging, and (3) teacher gatekeeping. Panel data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002) and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) are used to test the effect of these three factors on high school math placement. Though inequality in placement is noticeable in multiple subjects, this study focuses on math coursetaking, given the relevance of high-level math courses in secondary education for short- and long-term educational and occupational outcomes. Theoretically, this study connects the cumulative advantage theory with three sociological concepts: social structure, social system, and status. This theoretical bridge makes visible the role of the stratified and durable social structure within the school, embedded in the tracking system, on non-achievement-based inequality in curricular placement. This study challenges traditional cultural-based explanations of educational inequality. [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.]