ED3.A High school academic coursetaking: Percentage distribution of high school graduates by the highest level of mathematics courses taken, selected years 1982

ED3.A High school academic coursetaking: Percentage distribution of high school graduates by the highest level of mathematics courses taken, selected years 1982–2004

Characteristic	1982	1987	1990	1992	1994	1998	2000	2004
Nonacademic or low academic
Total	24.1	19.5	17.2	12.5	11.8	8.9	6.5	4.8
Middle academic
Total	48.8	50.1	51.6	49.0	49.4	48.9	48.0	44.6
Algebra I/geometry	30.6	27.0	25.4	22.7	22.5	21.2	18.6	18.7
Algebra II	18.2	23.1	26.2	26.4	26.9	27.7	29.4	25.9
Advanced academic
Total	26.3	29.5	30.6	38.1	38.1	41.4	44.6	50.0
Trigonometry/algebra III	15.6	12.9	12.9	16.4	16.3	14.4	14.1	17.6
Precalculus	4.8	9.0	10.4	10.9	11.6	15.2	18.0	18.5
Calculus	5.9	7.6	7.2	10.7	10.2	11.8	12.5	13.9
NOTE: Totals do not add to 100 because a small percentage of students completed no mathematics or only basic or remedial-level courses. The distribution of graduates among the various levels of mathematics courses was determined by the level of the most academically advanced course they had completed. Graduates may have completed advanced levels of courses without having taken courses at lower levels.
The courses classified at these mathematics academic levels are: Nonacademic: General mathematics I or II; basic mathematics I, II, or III; consumer mathematics; technical or vocational mathematics; and mathematics review. Low academic: Pre-algebra; algebra I (taught over 2 years); and geometry (informal). Algebra I/geometry: Algebra I; plane geometry; plane and solid geometry; unified mathematics I and II; and pure mathematics. Algebra II: Algebra II and unified mathematics III. Trigonometry/algebra III: Algebra III; algebra/trigonometry; algebra/analytical geometry; trigonometry; trigonometry/solid geometry; analytical geometry; linear algebra; probability; probability/statistics; statistics (other); and independent study. Precalculus: Precalculus and introduction to analysis. Calculus: Advanced Placement calculus; calculus; and calculus/analytical geometry.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. High School and Beyond Study of 1980 Sophomores (1982); National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (1992); National Assessment of Educational Progress Transcript Study (1987, 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2000); Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and High School Transcript Study (2004).