Results from a 12-year U.S. Department of Education study reveal that the level of high school math achieved, the amount of challenging courses taken in high school and having a clear path toward a college degree are indicative of success after high school.

Of the factors influencing getting a college degree, a challenging high school curriculum is most important.

The report dubbed “ToolBox Revisited” followed a group of eighth-grade students in 1988 through the higher education experience, ending in December 2000.

The report signals that the level of high school math achieved, with the “tipping point” above algebra two, is a sign that the student will graduate from a university.

Leia Larsen, a physical therapy major, and Brad Schell, a business administration major, are Sacramento State graduating seniors and each advanced beyond algebra two in high school. Schell progressed as far as first-year calculus.

Availability of these types of math courses is crucial, said Clifford Adleman, the principle researcher of “ToolBox Revisited” who assails what he calls the “math gap” among students.

High schools serving low socioeconomic neighborhoods offer algebra two less often than schools in wealthier areas, according to the study.

The report suggests that community colleges are beginning to offer strenuous high school math courses as a way of combating this economic inequality.

The report also reveals that students who are active participants in their pursuit for higher education are more successful than the ones without a plan.

Community colleges and universities can foster such student effort. According to the report, academic requirements for incoming university freshmen are critical to student preparation.

Dual enrollment in high school and community college is a central component to increasing the number of degree earners, according to the study.

Larsen pursued this option at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills where she completed five advanced placement classes for college credit, which put her ahead of the game when she got to Sac State.

Resisting the temptation to backpack across Europe after high school is important as well. Delaying college entry, for even a short time, signals less success for those hopeful of eventually getting a degree, the report reveals.

Schell and Larsen fit this profile too; each started college the first semester after graduating from high school and will earn their bachelor’s degree before turning 26.

Mike Lee, associate vice president and dean of academic programming at Sac State, said campus data is similar to the results of the report.

Lee, who co-chairs a task force that seeks to facilitate graduation on campus, said that if students wait before enrolling in college, they lose academic momentum and don’t further their education.

And choosing to attend college part time is also negatively associated with acquiring a degree, but it’s not as “crippling” ingredient identified by the study.

Nonpenalty withdrawals are the biggest impediment to students graduating, according to the report.

Neither Schell nor Larsen dropped any classes during their higher education but fellow student Michael Hawkes did.

Deployment of his army reserve unit to Iraq interrupted Hawkes’ pre-nursing studies. After dropping all four of his classes that semester, Hawkes is no longer scheduled to graduate by age 26. But the 25-year-old said he will graduate within two years.

Lee isn’t sure that nonpenalty withdrawals should be curtailed, but said students shouldn’t use the option rashly.

“In terms of withdrawal, students often don’t exhaust all possibilities before using it,” Lee said. “We need to remind students not to decide things too quickly because sometimes they regret it later.”

Using mainly high school and college transcripts, but also student interviews, “Tool Box Revisited” sought to test the lessons taken from the original “Tool Box” study, which was conducted from 1982-1993.

Those that dropped out of high school, received a GED or didn’t attend college by age 26, weren’t included in the study, according to a summary of the report. The report will be available March 15.

Norm Erickson can be reached at [email protected]