The Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) is taken by all high school juniors in Illinois. This study will identify the predictors of success on the PSAE Exam using data from 2001 and 2002 to show how analysis of PSAE data can inform educational policy-making that is designed to increase the number of Illinois High School graduates from low-income African-American and Hispanic families who are prepared to enter colleges and universities.
This study consists of two research objectives. With the first objective, PSAE scores will be analyzed at the individual student level, rather than the aggregate school level to facilitate a focused analysis of African-American and Hispanic students. It is hypothesized individual and school performance on the PSAE will vary directly with the number of years of core subjects taken, as well as whether or not students took honors, accelerated, and AP courses. Additionally, the performance gap between minority and majority students is predicted to decrease as high schools increase the number of years of core subjects taken by all students.
The second research objective is to analyze PSAE scores by student and high school according to the academic intensity of the high school curriculum, for example, whether or not students complete advanced mathematics beyond Algebra 2, as well as honors, accelerated, and AP courses. Course-taking patterns related to specific performance levels on the PSAE will be studied and categorized by high school.
For more information on this study, contact Ed Hines, Professor Emeritus. Other staff on this project include: W. Paul Vogt, Professor, Education Administration and Foundations; William C. Rau, Sociology & Anthropology Professor Emeritus; Zeng Lin, Assistant Professor, Education Administration and Foundations; and, Ross A. Hodel, Co-Director, Center for the Study of Education Policy.
