Secondary school physics availability in an urban setting: Issues related to academic achievement and course offerings

High school physics is a gateway course for post-secondary study in science, and an essential component in the formation of students’ scientific literacy. The opportunity to study physics is not universally available for children in U.S. schools, particularly in urban areas. Restricted science opportunities result in inequitable participation and a barrier to future participation in STEM-related fields. Although the national trend in physics enrollment has recently shown an increase, the percentage of participation is much lower for students in urban schools. We examined the availability of physics in New York City, and whether access was related to academic achievement measures, such as prior science performance, and graduation and college attendance percentages. High schools that offered physics were compared to those that did not, and patterns in types of available physics courses were examined. The findings substantiate the compelling need to explore the barriers to increased physics access and participation for urban youth.