- Math achievement gap, particularly for African American and White students, is most pronounced among students completing the most demanding courses.
- Among those students reaching the advanced math high school stratum, Hispanic youth from low-income families and African American youth from segregated schools fare the worst in terms of closing the achievement gap with their white peers.
- Some evidence that differences in levels of income and parental education contribute more to the Hispanic/white test gap in the advanced math stratum than among those in the nonadvanced stratum.
- Minority parents appear just as effective as white parents in translating the advantages of high levels of social class to their children’s achievement in advanced math classes, if not more so, refuting prior studies.
- School segregation contributes to racial/ethnic differences in math achievement for African America students enrolled in advanced math courses.
- Minority students in advanced classes fall further behind the achievement of their White peers than students completing only lower level classes; also, being in advanced classes improves math achievement for all students.
- The effects of social origin and school composition on students’ learning between 10th and 12th grade are relatively modest.