Associations between Predictive Indicators and Postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Success among Hispanic Students in Texas. Policy Brief

Hispanic students continue to be underrepresented among employees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the United States. Among students who decide to major in a postsecondary STEM field, Hispanic students persist at lower rates than non-Hispanic White students (Higher Education Research Institute, 2010). Concern about underrepresentation of Hispanic individuals in STEM majors and fields is particularly acute in Texas, where Hispanic students represent 51 percent of the K-12 student body. This policy brief describes a full report that was a series of investigations to identify indicators of STEM-related postsecondary outcomes specifically for Hispanic students in Texas. Identifying academic indicators that may differ specifically for Hispanic students relative to other racial/ethnic groups could help educators and policymakers understand the reasons for lower levels of attaining STEM postsecondary outcomes among Hispanic students. The study addresses the following research questions: (1) Which high school academic indicators predict whether Texas high school graduates will enroll, persist, or complete a degree in a STEM field? and (2) Do high school academic indicators of postsecondary outcomes function differently for Hispanic students (of any racial group) than for non-Hispanic White students? [For the full report, "Associations between Predictive Indicators and Postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Success among Hispanic Students in Texas. REL 2018-279," see ED577564.]