TY - JOUR TI - An investigation of factors that influence Black suburban enrollment in honors and advanced classes DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3GB268Q PY - 2016 AB - Research has demonstrated that there is a Black-White academic achievement gap across the United States. This academic achievement gap is evident in college graduation rates, standardized test scores, and enrollment in high school honors and advanced placement classes. In racially diverse suburban public high schools, Blacks students are vastly under-represented in honors and advanced classes. To better understand this aspect of the Black-White academic achievement gap, this exploratory study examined factors that may influence students’ decisions regarding course enrollment. A mixed methods case study was conducted at a racially mixed suburban high school that examined students’ academic self-concepts, experiences with ability grouping and perceptions of the honors classes. It also explored how these and other factors may be associated with their decisions to enroll or not enroll in honors and advanced classes. Specifically, this study explored the possibility that Black student reluctance to enroll in honors and/or advanced classes may be related to diminished academic self-concept resulting from their perceptions and experiences related to ability grouping, also known as tracking. This study revealed that ability grouping has been used to develop a caste system in racially diverse suburban schools that undermines the academic achievement of students of color. The findings demonstrate that although students can possess strong academic self-concepts they are often unable to overcome the barriers to academic achievement that are inherent in the practice of ability grouping. KW - Urban Systems KW - Ability grouping in education KW - Academic achievement KW - African American students LA - eng ER -