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The Beliefs of Advanced Placement Teachers Regarding Equity THE BELIEFS OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEACHERS REGARDING EQUITY AND ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY by Mirynne O’Connor Igualada A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The College of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2015 Copyright 2015 by Mirynne O’Connor Igualada ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I cannot express enough gratitude to the many people who provided continued support and encouragement throughout this journey. Thank you to my mother, Maureen, as you have been an endless source of support and encouragement. You always have believed that I could achieve this degree, while also helping me to stay somewhat sane throughout the process. You provided my theoretical framework; had I not been raised in your household and under your spiritual guidance, I would not have felt the need to examine issues of inequity. To my husband, Eric, thank you for your love throughout this process. You may not have always wanted to hear about my research, but you always have been willing to support my hopes and dreams without question. I would not be where I am today without you. I love you. Thank you to my Angel Baby and my Rainbow Baby, Emalee Jane. I am not sure I would have found the strength and stamina to complete this degree had I not felt the need to make you both proud of my accomplishments. I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Dilys Schoorman, who has been by my side through every major event academically, personally, and professionally in my adult life. You have not only been my teacher, but my mentor and role model. I forever will be grateful to have had the opportunity to be your student. To Dr. Diaz, I know this was a “labor of love” and I appreciate all of the advice and encouragement you have provided in both my studies and career path. To Dr. Pat, thank you for believing in my research and providing opportunities to expand and grow within the realm of educational iv leadership. To Dr. Vasquez, thank you for your patience and expertise in quantitative methodology. Without your gentle guidance, I do not think I would have had the confidence to conduct a mixed methods study. I must also thank all of my classmates and colleagues who have supported me throughout this journey. Because my research blended the classroom with the workplace, I truly felt as though accomplishing this took a village. There have been so many who lent a supportive ear or shoulder to cry on. Thank you to all who believed in me and helped me along the way. v ABSTRACT Author: Mirynne O’Connor Igualada Title: The Beliefs of Advanced Placement Teachers Regarding Equity and Access to Advanced Placement Courses: A Mixed-Methods Study Institution: Florida Atlantic University Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Dilys Schoorman Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Year: 2015 This mixed methods study of teachers’ beliefs about Advanced Placement (AP) equity and access policies occurred in Sunshine County School District, a large south Florida school district that has received accolades for leading the nation in access and equity in AP. Drawing on social reconstructionism, this study framed AP as an acceleration mechanism with the potential to increase students’ prospects for social advancement. These policies have resulted in a more diverse classroom experience through nontraditional student participation in AP courses. The purpose of this embedded case study was to examine the relationship between beliefs held by AP teachers in regard to the implementation of equity and access policies, as well as to what extent these beliefs may support or hinder the execution of such policies and procedures. The study occurred in three phases and consisted of document analysis, a survey, and interviews. Surveys collected from 176 AP teachers in the district vi yielded quantitative data on AP teachers’ beliefs regarding equity and access and the subsequent implementation of equity and access policies. Qualitative data regarding beliefs surrounding equity and access policies and the potential challenges these policies may pose were collected through open-ended survey questions, document analysis, and interviews with eight teachers at two selected high schools representing the highest and the lowest access rates to AP in the district. The findings indicated that AP teachers support equity and access policies in AP. Despite these beliefs, there is evidence that such policies are not implemented consistently across schools and particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related content areas. The analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data led to the conclusion that the historic tension between elitism and equity that surrounds the AP program currently is fueled primarily through state accountability measures. Implications and suggestions for future research are related to policy changes regarding the revision of the state of Florida grading system and district-level procedural changes in relation to the design of school-based professional development and development of clear AP pathways that support access among underrepresented students. vii THE BELIEFS OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEACHERS REGARDING EQUITY AND ACCESS TO ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY TABLES .......................................................................................................................... xiii FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................ 4 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................... 6 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 7 Significance and Potential Contribution ................................................................. 7 Definitions............................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE .................................................................... 13 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 15 Historical and Sociological Foundations of Advanced Placement ....................... 19 Creation of the AP Program ...................................................................... 19 Issues Surrounding the Role and Purpose of the AP program .................. 21 Initiatives to Increase Equity and Access to AP programs ....................... 24 Critical Review of the Advanced Placement Program ......................................... 26 Benefits of AP Courses ............................................................................. 26 Challenges Surrounding AP Courses ........................................................ 27 viii Student Enrollment Trends in AP ............................................................. 30 The Role of Teacher Beliefs ................................................................................. 30 AP Teachers’ Beliefs and Patterns of Student Success ............................ 30 Beliefs and Policy Implementation ........................................................... 35 How Beliefs Related to Academic Achievement Have Been Studied ...... 37 Policies Related to AP Equity and Access in Sunshine County Public Schools .................................................................................................................. 39 Implementation of State and Local Policy ................................................ 39 How Implementation of State and Local Policy Has Been Studied in SCPS ......................................................................................................... 42 Summary of the Chapter ....................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 44 Research Design .................................................................................................... 45 Setting and Participants ......................................................................................... 46 Site ............................................................................................................ 46 Sample ....................................................................................................... 49 Role of the Researcher .......................................................................................... 51 Instrumentation and Protocols .............................................................................. 52 Survey ....................................................................................................... 52 Policy Implementation Items in the Survey .................................. 53 Policy Belief Items in the Survey ................................................. 54 Participants’ Background Information .......................................... 54 Document Analysis ................................................................................... 55 ix Interviews .................................................................................................
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