Students Present Research at a National Conference in Washington DC

front, l-r: Elizabeth Stone, Abigail Holden
back, l-r: Dr. Conroy, Kael Briesacher, Dr. Briesacher

WSU students Elizabeth Stone '24 (Urban Studies/Environmental Science) and Abigail Holden '24 (Sociology) presented their recent research at the Eastern Sociological Society national conference in Washington DC. Their qualitative project is a deeper look beyond an earlier quantitative report on Advanced Placement Exam participation and performance at Worcester Public Schools that showed since AY 2007, and amid a 300% increase in AP test taking, WPS students fail more than half of their AP Exams. On average over that period, 62.2% of students outright failed their exams (scored a 1-2) with some years reaching 68%. Furthermore, another 20.6% of test takers earned scores of 3, which are also not worth college credit at a growing list of the nation's higher education institutions.

Supported in part by a Summer Undergraduate Research Grant from the WSU Foundation, Liz, Abby, and their professors Dr. Thomas Conroy (Urban Studies) and Dr. Alex Briesacher (Sociology), began wondering about the impact that failing an AP exam (or exams) had on a student's academic confidence and motivation to continue to college. Their findings indicate that failing AP Exams at WPS negatively affects these factors, especially for Latinx and Black students, two populations with already low college-going rates.

Although the professors accompanied Liz and Abby to the conference, the students were the lead presenters of the research and were on a panel with 2 post-docs and 2 associate professors from other institutions. They also participated in a robust Q&A after their presentation.

Alex, Kael, Liz, Aby, Tom, Dante, and Ida
at the Lincoln Memorial.
(photo by a very gracious Martha Assefa)

While in DC, the group got a chance to take in some sites including the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, the Museum of the American Indian, the Botanical Garden, and the Museum of Modern Art. They were also able to connect with an Urban Studies graduate, Dante Comparetto, who is a teacher in DC, and his wife Martha, and new(ish) daughter Ida. It should also be pointed out that Kael Briesacher, a graduating senior from Salem State University and Dr. Briesacher's son, also presented quite admirably at the conference on his recent work.

In an amusing postscript, on the way back from Washington, Liz got the Wordle in 2.

Comments

New Article by Urban Studies Faculty Member, Professor Shiko Gathuo

Not in This Together: COVID-19 and People of Color by Shiko Gathuo, Ph.D. Shiko Gathuo, Ph.D. Professor and Graduate Program Director of Urban Studies Presidents, prime ministers, royalty, celebrities. These and other rich, powerful and famous people have contracted COVID-19. When the pandemic first took hold, it was easy to throw around phrases like “we are in this together,” “the pandemic does not discriminate,” and “united in the fight.” These warm and comforting sentiments quickly became hollow as it became apparent that, in fact, the pandemic does discriminate and it has negatively affected the poor and people of color disproportionately and in many different ways. People of color are experiencing the health aspect of COVID-19 including infection, testing and treatment differently. The virus has also exacerbated other already existing conditions such as economic deprivation, food insecurity, and the education achievement gap. COVID-19 has also had a significant negative effect o

Advanced Placement in WPS

Professors Tom Conroy (Urban Studies) and Alex Briesacher (Sociology), along with students pictured at the right, Abigail Holden (Sociology) and Elizabeth Stone (Urban Studies/Environmental Science), received Summer Undergraduate Research Grants to continue their work on AP Participation and Performance in Worcester Public Schools. Following the completion of a quantitative study entitled AP & WPS, Part 1 in May, Conroy and Briesacher launched a qualitative study that looks at the impact of AP Exam-taking on student academic confidence and their college-going plans. Their findings from the initial study raised many questions they wanted to ask and answer. For example, publicly-accessible data shows that WPS’ failure rate is the highest among Massachusetts Gateway Cities with school districts of more than 10,000 students. This is in large part because WPS' testing rate is much higher than other districts. In no year since 2007 have more WPS students passed their AP Exams t

Urban Studies Professors Present in Washington DC

Urban Studies professors Dr. Tom Conroy and Dr. Tim Murphy, along with Dr. Alex Briesacher (Sociology) and associate vice president Mary Jo Marion (Civic Engagement) presented at the annual meeting of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities in October. Their panel, The Devils in the Details: The Complexities of Early College Partnerships , focused on the wide-spectrum of Early College models in the US and other areas of complexities including demographic shifts and "unharmonized" visions of EC programs. Altogether, they argued, these different levels of complexities contribute to confusion and disarray in programs that negatively affect the missions of many programs and/or lead to confusion of objectives. Well-received by attendees, the session made the case that the area most controlled by individual institutions was the "unharmonized" aspects, which is addressed when institutions create and communicate clear objectives for Early College Programs th

WSU Urban Studies Blog

Search This Blog