Reversing the Decline in Rigorous Coursework Enrollment amplifiED

In the wake of COVID-19, fewer students are taking rigorous classes in Minnesota. Moreover, Minnesota is home to significant disparities in who has access to advanced coursework—with students of color, low-income students, and students with disabilities missing out on opportunities to advance and even earn college credit.

In this episode, amplifiED hosts Margaret and Josh welcome Dr. Kristen Hengtgen, Senior Analyst on the P-12 policy team at EdTrust, to discuss the decline in rigorous coursework enrollment not just in Minnesota, but across the country. Dr. Hengtgen the importance of rigorous courses on academic achievement, the barriers to students, especially students of color, from enrolling in classes, and what other states have been doing to combat the decline. The discussion then moves into how states have found success in implementing "automatic enrollment" into rigorous courses and details how Minnesota can follow these examples to set up a pilot program to test the program for ourselves.