View in EDS

Calculus or Statistics: Does It Matter?

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Calculus or Statistics: Does It Matter?
Language: English
Authors: Matt Giani, Franchesca Lyra, Adam Tyner, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Source: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 2025.
Availability: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 1701 K Street NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-223-5452; Fax: 202-223-9226; e-mail: thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org; Web site: https://fordhaminstitute.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 69
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Barr Foundation
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Calculus, Statistics, Mathematics Education, Public Schools, High School Students, Outcomes of Education, Advanced Placement, College Attendance, Longitudinal Studies, Academic Standards, Difficulty Level, College Admission, Advanced Courses, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Teaching Assistants, Enrollment Trends, Statistics Education, Comparative Analysis, Salaries, Course Selection (Students)
Geographic Terms: Texas
Abstract: While calculus remains the gold standard of academic rigor in most college admissions offices, educators and employers increasingly champion advanced statistics as critical for navigating today's data-driven workforce. So which math pathway actually shapes long-term success? To find out, we asked UT Austin Associate Professor Matt Giani, graduate assistant Franchesca Lyra, and Fordham's Adam Tyner to analyze course-taking patterns from roughly twenty years of data on more than five million Texas public high school students. Then they focused on the 178,000 students who took either AP Calculus or AP Statistics, tracking them into college and the workforce to compare their long-term outcomes. The study yields several top-line results worth your time. Among them: While taking rigorous math courses improves postsecondary outcomes, students who take AP Calculus don't necessarily earn higher long-term salaries than those who take AP Statistics. In the end, the study underscores the importance of offering multiple advanced math options, suggests that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach for college-bound students, and reaffirms the need to address longstanding disparities in advanced course-taking.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED673481
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED673481
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED673481
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Report
PubTypeId: report
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Calculus or Statistics: Does It Matter?
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Matt+Giani%22">Matt Giani</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Franchesca+Lyra%22">Franchesca Lyra</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Adam+Tyner%22">Adam Tyner</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thomas+B%2E+Fordham+Institute%22">Thomas B. Fordham Institute</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Thomas+B%2E+Fordham+Institute%22"><i>Thomas B. Fordham Institute</i></searchLink>. 2025.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. 1701 K Street NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Tel: 202-223-5452; Fax: 202-223-9226; e-mail: thegadfly@fordhaminstitute.org; Web site: https://fordhaminstitute.org/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 69
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: Barr Foundation<br />Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Calculus%22">Calculus</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Education%22">Mathematics Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Students%22">High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Outcomes+of+Education%22">Outcomes of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Advanced+Placement%22">Advanced Placement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Attendance%22">College Attendance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+Studies%22">Longitudinal Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Standards%22">Academic Standards</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Difficulty+Level%22">Difficulty Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Admission%22">College Admission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Advanced+Courses%22">Advanced Courses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Faculty%22">College Faculty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Assistants%22">Teaching Assistants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Enrollment+Trends%22">Enrollment Trends</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics+Education%22">Statistics Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Salaries%22">Salaries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Course+Selection+%28Students%29%22">Course Selection (Students)</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Texas%22">Texas</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: While calculus remains the gold standard of academic rigor in most college admissions offices, educators and employers increasingly champion advanced statistics as critical for navigating today's data-driven workforce. So which math pathway actually shapes long-term success? To find out, we asked UT Austin Associate Professor Matt Giani, graduate assistant Franchesca Lyra, and Fordham's Adam Tyner to analyze course-taking patterns from roughly twenty years of data on more than five million Texas public high school students. Then they focused on the 178,000 students who took either AP Calculus or AP Statistics, tracking them into college and the workforce to compare their long-term outcomes. The study yields several top-line results worth your time. Among them: While taking rigorous math courses improves postsecondary outcomes, students who take AP Calculus don't necessarily earn higher long-term salaries than those who take AP Statistics. In the end, the study underscores the importance of offering multiple advanced math options, suggests that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach for college-bound students, and reaffirms the need to address longstanding disparities in advanced course-taking.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED673481
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED673481
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 69
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Calculus
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Advanced Placement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Attendance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Standards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Difficulty Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Admission
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Advanced Courses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Faculty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Assistants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Enrollment Trends
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistics Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative Analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Salaries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Course Selection (Students)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Texas
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Calculus or Statistics: Does It Matter?
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Thomas B. Fordham Institute
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Matt Giani
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Franchesca Lyra
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Adam Tyner
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Thomas B. Fordham Institute
              Type: main
ResultId 1