Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Administrative and Instructional Leadership

First Advisor

Jenny Yang

Second Advisor

Catherine C. DiMartino

Third Advisor

Stephen Kotok

Abstract

This quantitative study examined equity in Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus outcomes for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in New York State. Using statewide data from 16,457 AP Calculus AB and BC exam takers in 2023, the study investigated whether disability status, race/ethnicity, economic status, and English language proficiency predicted performance and the likelihood of passing. Findings revealed that disability status was not a statistically or practically significant predictor of AP Calculus outcomes; students with IEPs performed comparably to peers without IEPs once enrolled. No significant interaction effects were found between disability status and other demographic variables, suggesting that students with multiple marginalized identities were not systematically disadvantaged at the point of assessment. Race and ethnicity emerged as the only consistent predictors, with Asian students showing slightly higher odds of passing and Black and Hispanic students showing modestly lower odds than White peers. Economic status and English language proficiency were not significant predictors of mean scores or pass rates. However, the overall model explained only 0.3% of the variance in AP outcomes, underscoring that demographic characteristics alone cannot account for performance differences. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, these results suggest that inequities in AP Calculus are rooted less in individual deficits and more in systemic barriers across the mathematics pipeline. The study concludes that once students with disabilities gain access to AP Calculus, they succeed at comparable levels, but access remains inequitable. Implications include strengthening early mathematics preparation, addressing school- and district-level gatekeeping practices, and ensuring equitable implementation of accommodations. Recommendations for future research include disaggregating disability classifications, incorporating longitudinal and mixed-methods approaches, and examining the impact of the newly introduced AP Precalculus course on broadening participation in advanced mathematics.

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