Why Go to Why Go to College?College?

Continued…Continued…

SocLexiconSocLexicon

Ideal TypeIdeal Type Group SolidarityGroup Solidarity Labor MarketLabor Market SelectivitySelectivity TrackingTracking School CultureSchool Culture Contest Mobility/Sponsored MobilityContest Mobility/Sponsored Mobility Equality of Opportunity/Equality of Equality of Opportunity/Equality of

Outcome Outcome

TodayToday

TrackingTracking 3 Studies3 Studies

Read Hallinan and Oakes before Read Hallinan and Oakes before section tomorrowsection tomorrow

First Memo due on Monday (in class)First Memo due on Monday (in class)

““TrackingTracking””

TrackingTracking refers to grouping students refers to grouping students by ability for instructional purposes:by ability for instructional purposes: Eg., Advanced, Honors, Regular, BasicEg., Advanced, Honors, Regular, Basic AP CoursesAP Courses IB CurriculumIB Curriculum

Some form of tracking is found in 80% of Some form of tracking is found in 80% of American schoolsAmerican schools

The impact of tracking:The impact of tracking: Research shows that most students Research shows that most students

would learn more if there were no would learn more if there were no trackingtracking

Tracking Tracking increasesincreases cognitive inequality cognitive inequality Tracking amplifies early gains and lossesTracking amplifies early gains and losses Tracking is an academic disaster for all Tracking is an academic disaster for all

students except those at the very topstudents except those at the very top The effects of tracking are particularly The effects of tracking are particularly

profound on young childrenprofound on young children

Tracking affects school culture Tracking affects school culture because it tends to separate because it tends to separate academically successful kids from academically successful kids from less successful kids throughout the less successful kids throughout the dayday

““School-within-a-school”School-within-a-school”

Tracking is the mechanism by which Tracking is the mechanism by which some students are oriented some students are oriented towardtoward school, while others’ interest drifts school, while others’ interest drifts awayaway

The effect of tracking on The effect of tracking on Friendship patternsFriendship patterns

No trackingtracking

Tracking influences Tracking influences friendship choicesfriendship choices

But do friendship choices affect But do friendship choices affect course-taking?course-taking?

i.e., are these processes mutually i.e., are these processes mutually reinforcing?)reinforcing?)

The Role of Gender and The Role of Gender and Friendship inFriendship in

Advanced Course TakingAdvanced Course TakingRiegle-Crumb, Farkas, and Muller (2006)Riegle-Crumb, Farkas, and Muller (2006)

Does same-sex friends’ academic Does same-sex friends’ academic performance predict advanced course performance predict advanced course taking in the 11th and 12th grades for taking in the 11th and 12th grades for female and male students?female and male students?

Is the effect of the academic performance of same-sex friends Is the effect of the academic performance of same-sex friends more important in predicting girls’ advanced course taking in more important in predicting girls’ advanced course taking in the traditionally male-dominated areas of math and science than the traditionally male-dominated areas of math and science than it is in the more traditionally female dominated field of English? it is in the more traditionally female dominated field of English?

Is there an interaction between same-sex friends’ performance Is there an interaction between same-sex friends’ performance and the gender composition of the friendship group that is and the gender composition of the friendship group that is particular to promoting girls’ advanced course taking in science particular to promoting girls’ advanced course taking in science and math, such that the effects of friends’ performance are and math, such that the effects of friends’ performance are greater in the context of a predominantly female friendship greater in the context of a predominantly female friendship group?group?

Analysis of Add Health Analysis of Add Health DataData

Nationally representative sample of Nationally representative sample of Adolescents attending High School Adolescents attending High School in the US (n in the US (n ≈ 20,000)≈ 20,000)

Respondents followed for ten yearsRespondents followed for ten years Extensive data on friendshipsExtensive data on friendships Linked to high school transcript dataLinked to high school transcript data

FindingsFindings

Physics Math English

Answer:Answer:

Friendship patterns can influence Friendship patterns can influence course-takingcourse-taking

Especially important for girlsEspecially important for girls Especially important for girls in Especially important for girls in

math and science (traditionally girls math and science (traditionally girls have lower achievement in these have lower achievement in these subjects)subjects)