A study of some factors that are related to mathematical achievement in Mississippi high schools as measured by scores on the American College Test

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between certain variables and scoring high on the ACT in mathematics. The population for the study was all the public schools in Mississippi whose students had taken the ACT in 1988. Those schools whose students' average ACT scores on the mathematics portion of the ACT were in either the upper 10% or the lower 10% were in the sample of schools. Selected variables included: (1) expenditures per student per school; (2) enrollment of schools; (3) average daily attendance; (4) certification held by mathematics teachers; (5) years of experience of mathematics teachers; (6) high school graduation requirements in mathematics; (7) student/teacher ratio in mathematics classes; (8) number of mathematics courses taught above Algebra I; (9) membership of mathematics teachers in professional organizations; and (10) competition in mathematics contests. Alpha level was 0.05, and a t-test was used to test for significant differences.;Results indicated that for four of the selected variables there were no significant differences: (1) expenditures per student per school; (2) average daily attendance; (3) high school graduation requirements in mathematics; and (4) membership in mathematics professional organizations. Schools which scored in the lower 10% on the mathematics portion of the ACT had lower student/teacher ratio in mathematics classes and mathematics teachers had more years of teaching experience. Schools which scored in the upper 10% on the mathematics portion of the ACT had mathematics teachers with higher certification levels. For the three selected variables: (1) enrollment of schools; (2) number of mathematics courses taught above Algebra I; and (3) competition in mathematics contests; the differences were significant, even at the alpha level of 0.001. Schools which scored in the upper 10% on the mathematics portion of the ACT had enrollments which were higher, taught more mathematics courses above Algebra I, and entered more mathematics contests.