ERIC Number: ED670895
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Aug
Pages: 47
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
How College Credit in High School Impacts Postsecondary Course-Taking: The Role of AP Exams. EdWorkingPaper No. 19-110
Oded Gurantz
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
This paper uses Advanced Placement (AP) exams to examine how receiving college credit in high school alters students' subsequent human capital investment. Using data from one large state, I link high school students to postsecondary transcripts from in-state, public institutions and estimate causal impacts using a regression discontinuity that compares students with essentially identical AP performance but who receive different offers of college credit. I find that female students who earn credit from STEM exams take higher-level STEM courses, significantly increasing their depth of study, with no observed impacts for males. As a result, the male-female gap in STEM courses taken shrinks by roughly one-third to two-thirds, depending on the outcome studied. Earning non-STEM AP credit increases overall coursework in non-STEM courses and increases the breadth of study across departments. Early credit policies help assist colleges to produce graduates whose skills aligns with commonly cited social or economic priorities, such as developing STEM graduates with stronger skills, particularly among traditionally underrepresented groups.
Descriptors: College Credits, High School Students, Student Behavior, Course Selection (Students), Advanced Placement Programs, Human Capital, Public Colleges, Gender Differences, STEM Education, College Students, Humanities, Social Sciences, Introductory Courses, Advanced Courses
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Advanced Placement Examinations (CEEB)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A