Course Availability
Access to advanced coursework is essential.
In order for students to benefit from acceleration, they need access to challenging coursework. In far too many schools across the country, too many bright students lack access to the key courses they need to reach their potential. This is especially true for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
High poverty schools are hardest hit.
While many schools do not offer advanced coursework, it’s the highest poverty schools that are the most likely to lack the advanced coursework needed for bright students to reach their potential. This especially problematic for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 55% of schools nationwide do not offer calculus
- 72% of high-poverty schools nationwide do not offer calculus
- 33% of schools nationwide do not offer physics
- 60% of high-poverty schools nationwide do not offer physics
- 41% of schools nationwide do not offer any AP courses
- 65% of high-poverty schools nationwide do not offer any AP courses
High Poverty Schools in the US
Course availability is a solution.
In most states, it is cost-prohibitive to offer all courses to all students in all school districts in-person. Nor does it make much sense, if there is not enough interest to justify hiring a teacher or if a teacher with the proper expertise and experience cannot be found. Course access is a solution to this problem. What it does is create a marketplace where multiple authorized providers can offer courses to students that are not available at their schools. While most courses are online, others can be offered in person. This is a cost-effective solution to the course availability problem.
Students of color are left behind.
A recent analysis found large disparities in the availability of advanced coursework between schools with different concentrations of students of color. Students from all backgrounds should have access to the coursework they need to reach their potential. This is especially true for bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds.