Who chooses fast-track programs in mathematics? The role of class origin, ethnicity, and gender among Norwegian lower-secondary students.

Abstract

This article examines Norwegian lower-secondary students who enrol in fast-track programs in mathematics. These fast-track programs are designed to accommodate high-performing students who want a faster learning pace than the average student. In general, both educational performance and choice depend on class origin, ethnicity, and gender, according to research. Therefore, in studying the probability of entering the fast track, we focus on the role played by class origin, ethnicity, and gender. Our findings suggest that class origin and ethnicity affect students’ choice to enter the fast track or not, but after accounting for their prior performance on national tests in 8th grade the initial differences are considerably smaller. There are no differences in this choice between boys and girls. Our analyses rely on high-quality Norwegian administrative register data on 10th-grade students from 2010 to 2014.