High School Foreign Language and Postsecondary Achievement
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Date
2015-12
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Foreign language courses have long been a staple in the American high school experience. Although a requirement for admissions to most 4-year colleges in Ohio, foreign language is not a requirement by the state for high school graduation. Do foreign language courses impact postsecondary achievement? Research suggests that studying foreign language has a positive impact on other coursework and has been linked to improvements in standardized test scores; however, little research shows a direct link between high school coursework and postsecondary success. This study is the first to compare educational outcomes of different levels of foreign language attainment for Ohio students. Using a dataset of Ohio State University students over the period 2000-2008, the analysis indicates that students who have studied foreign language in high school experience higher grade point averages and graduation rates than students who do not study foreign language or earn few foreign language credits. Students of color particularly benefit from earning at least three foreign language credits in high school. This information may assist policymakers and public administrators in decision-making as it pertains to K-12 and post-secondary alignment.
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Keywords
education, foreign language, k-12, college achievement, postsecondary, public policy