Students who take more rigorous math courses in high school perform at higher levels on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in math. In 2000, the average scale score for 12th graders on NAEP was 301 out of 500. The scores for students enrolled in trigonometry, precalculus, or calculus in their senior year were substantially higher.
SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Math Report Card, 2000
