Download or read book Examining the Success of Students in Developmental Mathematic Courses in a Mostly Hispanic Border Town Community College written by Antonio Guadalupe Carranza and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A random sample of 200 Hispanic/Latino students from a predominately Hispanic/Latino South Texas community college was used to determine if the implementation of MyMathLab had a positive effect on students' academic grade performance. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a web-based technology, MyMathLab, made a difference in student success in both a developmental mathematics course and a subsequent college algebra course. Additionally, this study examined whether the effect differs by instructors' characteristics contributing to successes or failures of students in developmental mathematics courses. Student success in developmental mathematics courses was measured by pre and post MyMathLab tests in addition to grade distributions from 2001 and 2005 (before MyMathLab) across the two developmental courses and a college algebra course and the implementation of MyMathLab between 2008-2012 to determine if using MyMathLab had an impact on student success in two developmental courses and an early algebra course. Also, the instructors completed two surveys. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) and Instructors Educational Philosophies (IEP). The survey questions were compared to the results to determine if the instructors' characteristics had an impact on student's achievement in developmental courses enhanced by MyMathLab. The overall findings of the study suggests that with the implementation of MyMathLab taken on average the typical student was able to increase their academic performance in the developmental mathematic courses (Math0375, Math0376) and college algebra course (Math1314). The PTE overall findings suggest that mathematic instructors were uncertain if they had the ability to teach effectively in the classroom. The TOE represented mathematics instructors were uncertain if they effectively taught students to succeed in college and were uncertain if they had a positive effect on students learning. The IEP overall findings suggest that mathematics instructors' personal teaching efficacy was a more learner-center approach rather than a teacher-center approach. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/155217

Download or read book Increasing Student Success in Developmental Mathematics written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-11-18 with total page 123 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Board on Science Education and the Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened the Workshop on Increasing Student Success in Developmental Mathematics on March 18-19, 2019. The Workshop explored how to best support all students in postsecondary mathematics, with particular attention to students who are unsuccessful in developmental mathematics and with an eye toward issues of access to promising reforms and equitable learning environments. The two-day workshop was designed to bring together a variety of stakeholders, including experts who have developed and/or implemented new initiatives to improve the mathematics education experience for students. The overarching goal of the workshop was to take stock of the mathematics education community's progress in this domain. Participants examined the data on students who are well-served by new reform structures in developmental mathematics and discussed various cohorts of students who are not currently well served - those who even with access to reforms do not succeed and those who do not have access to a reform due to differential access constraints. Throughout the workshop, participants also explored promising approaches to bolstering student outcomes in mathematics, focusing especially on research and data that demonstrate the success of these approaches; deliberated and discussed barriers and opportunities for effectively serving all students; and outlined some key directions of inquiry intended to address the prevailing research and data needs in the field. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Download or read book Achieving the Dream Success of Hispanic Students in Developmental Math Courses in a Texas Community College written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Achieving the Dream: Success of Hispanic students in developmental math courses in a Texas community college.

Download or read book Bridging the Gap written by Pamela Devone Edwards and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today, millions of students are entering higher education underprepared for college-level coursework. In the Southeastern Community College System, approximately 60% of the students were required to take developmental coursework prior to enrolling in college-level courses. Of these students, close to 30% enrolled in developmental mathematics courses. Attempts to improve success rates in these courses led the Southeastern Community College System to redesign the developmental mathematics program and determine college readiness using Multiple Measures. Implementation of these measures have changed the student demographics for developmental mathematics, which leaves to question: Who are the underprepared students? Research has shown that these students are students who are minority (Black or Hispanic), from low-income families, first-generation, and/or nontraditional. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between the demographical characteristics of underprepared students in developmental mathematics, success in subsequent college-level mathematics courses and persistence in the mathematics program. This study found a statistically significant association between the demographical characteristics of underprepared students and success and persistence. This study also found a statistically significant difference in the proportions of success and persistence of underprepared students based on the type of developmental mathematics program. The methodology used in this research study consisted of the chi-square tests of independence and homogeneity, and post-hoc testing with Bonferroni corrections. Recommendations for future research are to include first-generation students and to expand the data collection to cover the academic years of the traditional and redesigned developmental mathematics programs.

Download or read book Developmental Mathematics in Two year Community Colleges and Student Success written by Brenda Catherine Frame and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Poor success rates of developmental mathematics courses at community colleges have currently received nationwide attention. Efforts to remedy the situation include complete course redesigns and intervention strategies. A recent intervention strategy in use is the implementation of success courses that are aimed at changing the learning perspectives of developmental students. The purpose of this mixed-method comparative study was to closely examine this strategy as it relates specifically to students studying developmental mathematics at the lowest level at one community college. Students taking the lowest level developmental mathematics course at the participating community college were designated into one of two groups: those taking mathematics with the success course and those taking mathematics without a success course. The study explored students' perceptions and belief structures regarding the study of developmental mathematics and focused on identifying any changes in student belief structures over the course of one semester. Descriptive statistics regarding grade achievement of the population with the student success course provide insight into the possible benefits of the success course for developmental mathematics students. Participants in the study, starting out in the lowest mathematics course offered at the community college, need more mathematics in order to obtain a degree or certificate from the college. Rate of registration for the subsequent mathematics courses were also analyzed in the study. Findings showed that the offering of a success course to students who are at-risk in developmental mathematics has made some improvements in the percentage of students who were able to satisfactorily complete the first level developmental mathematics course at one community college. It also showed that for students who did not pass the success course, there was a nearly one-to-one relationship with unsuccessful completion of a low-level mathematics course. Qualitative data helps explain how the two groups were quite different and also helps to explain findings.

Download or read book Responsive Evaluation of a Community College Mathematics Laboratory written by La Shannon Neru Hollinger and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation in practice (DIP), responsive evaluation (RE) explored relationships of the Faulkner Academic Math Excellence (FAME) Laboratory characteristics and specific perceptions of students enrolled in developmental mathematics education courses at a rural community college in Alabama's southeastern region. This program evaluation examined information surrounding the effectiveness of the FAME Lab program and service activities housed within a two-year community college. The study explored perceptions of students within a community college developmental mathematics education program relative to three areas of focus: (a) students' expressed access and use of the FAME Lab program services, (b) students' perceptions of the influence of the FAME Lab program services relative to academic performance levels, and (c) students' perceived value of the FAME Lab program relative to successes in developmental math courses. The researcher performed an extensive review of the literature and identified a critical problem of low numbers of students successfully completing developmental mathematics courses among colleges across the United States as a pervasive challenge, uniquely identified within community colleges and evidenced by 96% of colleges across the country requiring remediation courses, primarily in mathematics (Butrymowicz, 2017). The participants in the study were community college developmental education students and faculty of the community college. A potential limitation of this study includes researcher bias. The magnitude of the problem identified in the literature provided the impetus for the investigation and aligned with the nature of the meaning and purpose for using the DIP, explicitly recognizing an existing problem in practice and performing a study aligned with the need acknowledged by the problem in practice. The Faulkner Academic Math Excellence (FAME) Laboratory program exemplifies and aligns with the type of intervention programs reflective of the remediation programs that colleges across the United States are utilizing to curb or remedy the problem of low numbers of students successfully completing developmental mathematics courses. The researcher communicated with the Vice-President of Instruction and the Math Division Chair and received approval to conduct the DIP study. The researcher created a questionnaire for the student participants and conducted a RE of the FAME Lab program to respond to the problem defined for investigation. The current study provided a practitioner approach to examining the problem by incorporating the use of the RE model (Stake, 2014) to discern the problem within a focused setting, explicitly utilizing the FAME Lab program within a two-year college located in the southeastern region of the United States. The use of the RE protocol provided the researcher with strategies to inform results focused on three areas of consideration: (a) the examination of program activities rather than program goals or intents; (b) the acquisition of students' needs, reactions, and information rather than college leaders' intentions or purposes; and (c) the reporting of differing perspectives in determining the success and failure of the program. Based on the researcher's critical use of the RE protocol, a 12-step implementation plan for the FAME Lab program to assist students in attaining success within developmental mathematics was provided to college officials and are is provided for consideration by other developmental math programs at colleges across the United States. These 12 considerations, presented in Chapter 5, coupled with additional discussions of study results, add to the body of literature supporting students' preparation for entering college mathematics programs, a practitioner problem pervasive in colleges across the United States. The study will inform and advance the professional practice by informing the implementation of developmental mathematics education for students who do not complete developmental mathematics courses successfully.

Download or read book Completion and Success of Community College Developmental Students Enrolled in Online Mathematics Coursework written by Mary Monica Ryder and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As online education gains popularity among both learners and postsecondary institutions, there is a movement toward identifying ways to promote student success. Over half of all higher education institutions offer online classes, due in part to the ease of offering and scheduling (Hoffman, 2006); educators seek ways to identify any demographic or academic characteristics that lead to success (Jaggars & Bailey, 2010). With the growth and popularity of online learning, postsecondary institutions must continue to develop best practices in the areas of online teaching pedagogies to promote student success. Within community colleges there is a growing acceptance of online courses and given that over 60% of incoming students test into developmental math coursework (Chen, 2016), answers must be sought to assist these developmental math learners toward online success. This study investigated the role of various student characteristics concerning student success in online developmental math course completion. The sample was students enrolled in a specific identified gateway mathematic course offered fully online in at a large suburban, public community college located in the northeastern part of the United States. Utilizing a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, explored course completion rates of developmental students enrolled in online college-level mathematics courses, the study analyzed the role of demographic and academic characteristics for developmental students enrolled in a college-level mathematics course offered fully online from the fall 2017 through fall 2019 academic year. A second phase of semi-structured interviews was conducted to explore aspects of student success from individuals identified in the first phase. As the success of developmental college students is at the forefront of postsecondary institutions in their mission for student success online, the ability to identify characteristics that could lead to student success may assist in recommendations for online instructors and assessment of developmental math student college-level mathematics course completion.

Download or read book Subsequent Course Pass Rates in Modularized Developmental Mathematics Courses in Select Community Colleges in North Carolina written by Tammy Jane Bishop and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the past decade the structure of developmental education courses and teaching methods has been changing in order to try and improve success rates of students in developmental education courses and beyond. Course redesigns have taken place throughout the country. The modularized, mastery redesign for developmental mathematics of the North Carolina Community College System was examined in this study. The purpose of this study was to compare the subsequent gateway course success rates of the pre- and post-redesign courses, as well as compare rates of the post-redesign courses based on the delivery method used. Delivery methods compared were teacher-centered, student-centered, and computer-centered. Data showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the subsequent gateway course success rates based on the design of the course. However, data did show that the student-centered and computer-centered delivery methods, which both use indirect instruction, have a statistically significant difference in subsequent gateway course success rates when compared to teacher-centered instruction. The electronic version of this dissertation is accessible from http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/2327

Download or read book Experiences of Non Traditional Students in a Self Paced Computer Based Developmental Mathematics Course at a Community College written by Rebekah Agar and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prior research has shown that adult learners who are non-traditional (NT) college students come to college with different needs, desires, and goals than traditional college students. The problem is that community college educators need to better understand the needs of the changing population of the student body to equitably and effectively serve them. One effect of the problem is that NT student retention and degree attainment rates are lower than those of traditional students. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the experiences of NT community college students taking self-paced computer-based developmental mathematics classes. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What does it mean to NT students to be placed into the developmental mathematics population of community college students? (2) What are NT students' perceptions of their engagement with the developmental mathematics course learning software? (3) What are the NT students' perceptions of their engagement with their community college developmental mathematics instructors? The researcher analyzed data from 66 student survey responses and 10 semi-structured interviews with students and identified three themes: (a) NT identity; (b) the need for human support; and (c) software as tool. The researcher concluded that: (a) NT students are negatively affected by their time spent away from high school and mathematics content; (b) NT students perceived that timely access to their instructor was important to their success; and (c) NT students liked using the computer software and found it to be user-friendly. The researcher offered recommendations for instructional design, for community college administrators, and for developmental mathematics instructors. Keywords: non-traditional students, adult education, developmental mathematics, community college, student success, computer-based learning Abstract (Spanish) Investigaciones anteriores han demostrado que los estudiantes adultos que son estudiantes universitarios no tradicionales (NT) llegan a la universidad con necesidades, deseos y objetivos diferentes a los de los estudiantes universitarios tradicionales. El problema es que los educadores de los colegios comunitarios necesitan comprender mejor las necesidades de la población cambiante del cuerpo estudiantil para atenderlos de manera equitativa y eficaz. Un efecto del problema es que las tasas de retención y obtención de títulos de los estudiantes NT son más bajas que las de los estudiantes tradicionales. El propósito de este estudio de métodos mixtos fue explorar las experiencias de los estudiantes de colegios comunitarios de NT que toman clases de matemáticas de desarrollo basadas en computadora a su propio ritmo. Las siguientes preguntas de investigación guiaron el estudio: (1) ¿Qué significa para los estudiantes del NT ser colocados en la población de desarrollo matemático de estudiantes de colegios comunitarios? (2) ¿Cuáles son las percepciones de los estudiantes de NT sobre su compromiso con el software de aprendizaje del curso de matemáticas de desarrollo? (3) ¿Cuáles son las percepciones de los estudiantes de NT sobre su compromiso con los instructores de matemáticas del desarrollo de sus colegios comunitarios? El investigador analizó datos de 66 respuestas a encuestas de estudiantes y 10 entrevistas semiestructuradas con estudiantes e identificó tres temas: (a) identidad NT; (b) la necesidad de apoyo humano; y (c) software como herramienta. El investigador concluyó que: (a) los estudiantes NT se ven afectados negativamente por el tiempo que pasan fuera de la escuela secundaria y del contenido de matemáticas; (b) los estudiantes de NT percibieron que el acceso oportuno a su instructor era importante para su éxito; y (c) a los estudiantes de NT les gustó usar el software de computadora y lo encontraron fácil de usar. El investigador ofreció recomendaciones para el diseño instruccional, para administradores de colegios comunitarios y para instructores de matemáticas del desarrollo. Palabras clave: estudiantes no tradicionales, educación de adultos, matemáticas del desarrollo, colegio comunitario, éxito de los estudiantes, aprendizaje basado en computadoras

Download or read book The Impact of Learning Environment on Student Success in Developmental Math written by Jean M. Ashby and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasing enrollments in community colleges has led to an increase in distance education courses. The developmental coursework necessary for many community college students is being offered both in online and hybrid environments. These students face challenges with the content and now find themselves needing to learn in a virtual classroom. Current research (Chernish, DeFranco, Lindner, & Dooley, 2005; Frederickson, Reed, & Clifford, 2005; Herman & Banister, 2007; Kromrey & Purdom, 1995; Scheetz & Guntner, 2004) shows that there is no difference in student success based on the learning environment, but this was completed primarily with upper-class and graduate students. This study investigated student success in a developmental math course taught in the face-to-face, hybrid, and online environments at a mid-Atlantic community college. Cognitive Load Theory was used during the design of the course and its principles were maintained in all of the learning environments. The sample was 167 students with an average age of 25 years, 58% were female, 49% were Caucasian and 43% were African-American. The focus was on student success, but the impact attrition had on the results of the study is discussed. The study also investigated student characteristics and their relationship to success. Age, gender, race, student status, placement scores, financial aid, learning style, locus of control, and technology skills are all compared between successful and unsuccessful students to determine if specific traits were more beneficial within a particular environment.

Download or read book Programmatic Practices that Promote Student Success in Community College Math Developmental Education written by Elizabeth J. Meza and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost half of all college students in the U.S. attend community colleges; almost sixty percent of these students are referred to remedial English, reading or math through means of a standardized placement exam, with math being a the greatest area of need. While these courses, often as many as four in a sequence, are meant to be a boost for students unprepared for college-level coursework, they have low success rates and few students make it through the entire sequence to succeed in a first college-level math course, leaving them far short of graduation or a meaningful credential. While developmental (aka remedial) education, those courses or sequences of courses below the college-level, has received a lot of attention recently due to its high costs and low student success rates, current research has largely failed to document, examine, or classify programmatic approaches to developmental education. This lack of information that would facilitate analysis is due in part to the relatively recent recognition of the problem, but it is also because of the difficulty accessing reliable information about large numbers of programs and the range of definitions, student populations, and perceived quickly shifting innovations (some may go as far as to say educational fads) that developmental education programs encompass. Unfortunately, this lack of a comprehensive picture of developmental education programs has led to either the complete elimination of the programs as unnecessary and perhaps counterproductive for students, or to a focus on a number of disparate approaches with little underlying theory behind them or even agreement as to the problem. This research is centered in 28 Washington state community college campuses and examines a mixed methods approach to answer three main questions: 1) To what extent and in what ways do math developmental program elements vary across institutions? Developmental education may vary widely even within one relatively homogenous state system of community colleges, such as the system in Washington. Programs have differing resources devoted to them, as well as differing pedagogy, intervention strategies and approaches, student referral and advancement policies, etc., and this variation has not even been fully described in previous research. 2) To what extent do student outcomes, as measured by completion of the developmental sequence, completion of a first college-level math course, and highest education reached, vary across the different math developmental education programs, after controlling for student characteristics, among the 28 community colleges in Washington State? What proportion of overall variance is contributed by student characteristics vs. programmatic factors? Wide institutional variation has been found in previous outcomes studies of professional-technical programs leading to terminal associate degrees in Washington, suggesting that institutional or programmatic variables may be contributing significantly to student success or lack of it (Scott-Clayton & Weiss, 2011). 3) What program policies and practices seem to be associated with positive outcomes for developmental education students? Can developmental education programs be categorized in some meaningful way? Is there a "typology" or categorization of programs that identifies characteristics that seem to be associated with either positive or negative results? For example, do schools with better (or worse) results, net of student characteristics, share identifiable programmatic characteristics in terms of policy and practice variables that are positively or negatively associated with student outcomes? I find from this research that strategies such as reducing the total number of courses in developmental education pathways, implementing alternatives to placement in developmental math via standardized tests, and better preparing students for assessment, are associated with greater student success in completing the developmental math sequence and in completing a first college level course. I also find that colleges with these more innovative features are significantly more successful than their more traditional institutional peers in terms of student outcomes. However, I also find no variation between colleges in the outcome of highest education reached, after controlling for student background characteristics. It seems that, at least for this sample, college did not have a significant association with ultimate educational attainment. Diving deeper to examine colleges' policies, practices, and the perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators, I find wide variation in pathways, program structure, assessment policies, connection to advising, tutoring, and institutional research departments, and day-to-day concerns and operations. One commonality is the conviction that teaching that addresses student motivation and confidence in their ability to learn math and peaks their interest, factors not usually examined systematically in higher education policy research, is central to developmental education student success. This research informs strategies for increased college completion for underprepared students. College completion has emerged as of paramount importance in fostering U.S. economic development and global competitiveness, yet if half of college students are unprepared for college work and thus are unlikely to persist to degree completion despite their motivation to attend college, serious attention should be paid to what can be done to increase their odds of success.

Download or read book Developmental Mathematics Education Policies at Kansas s Community Colleges written by Teresa A. Muller and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This research compared the policies governing developmental mathematics education programs at thirteen community colleges in the state of Kansas with student's success in developmental mathematics courses. Particularly, this study sought to determine what policies had the greatest positive effect on students' success in developmental mathematics courses. The research design was two-phased. The first consisted of a survey of developmental mathematics education instructional leaders to examine their colleges' policies and collect data on student performance and persistence rates in developmental mathematics courses. Thirteen developmental mathematics education instructional leaders from Kansas's community colleges were surveyed. The community colleges surveyed had student enrollments ranging from 1064 to 7745 students, with 4285 students enrolled in developmental mathematics courses (Kansas Board of Regents, 2002). The second phase of the study consisted of interviewing three developmental mathematics instructional leaders from three different community colleges with high success rates among their developmental mathematics students. These success rates were derived from analysis of the student performance and persistence data collected in the surveys. Seventy-four percent of the developmental mathematics students enrolled in the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000 at these three community colleges were successful in their developmental mathematics courses. The results of the study demonstrated the need for mandatory assessment and placement in developmental mathematics courses. Proper placement through mandatory placement policies and good counseling were vital to student success in developmental mathematics courses. Mandatory placement policies should not be waived. This study found that policies alone would not guarantee student success in developmental mathematics courses. Two other elements that increased students' success in developmental mathematics courses was the utilization of academic support centers and the developmental mathematics instructors' commitment to developmental mathematics students. The academic support centers, which include tutoring and computerized instruction, were essential components to facilitate student success. Community colleges need to make a commitment to their developmental mathematics students in order to increase students' opportunities for success"--Abstract.

Download or read book The Educational Journey of First generation Latino Students in College Developmental Mathematics written by Lourdes Shahamiri and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This qualitative study investigated the experiences of Latino students in developmental math. Included are the journeys of 10 Latino, first-generation students who overcame challenges in high school math and were successful in making the transition to a four-year university mainly through the help of specialized programs (AVID, GEAR UP, and Pathways in Education Scholarship Program). Students demonstrated a high commitment toward their educational goals; however, once they made the transition to college, they found themselves in developmental math facing a variety of challenges. Family support appeared very important to these students, and continued to serve as a motivator for them to continue with their studies. The students understood the importance of having a mentor or role model. Even though some of them do not currently have a role model, they want to serve in that role to encourage their siblings to attend college. My findings also indicate that students utilize a high level of the University services to navigate their college experience; however, they do not receive much validation in their math classes due to the lack of assignment/exam feedback. Students indicated that to them, it was important to have social places on campus where they could receive support and feel included. Through the strong support for theoretical frameworks of validation and social reproduction theories and the findings of Latino students' pursuing an undergraduate degree, my study contributes to research in developmental math by demonstrating the type of support mechanisms Latino students need to persist to graduation.

Download or read book Student Achievement in Developmental Mathematics and Effective Practices in Developmental Education written by Lisa Salinas Alcorta and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Success rates for students in developmental education are dismal. The greatest need for developmental education instruction occurs in mathematics, where high numbers of underprepared students generate great concern and the need for substantial changes in higher education institutions. With higher rates of students requiring remediation in the community colleges, the identification of effective policies and practices in developmental education is necessary to increase the achievement rates of developmental education students, and more specifically developmental mathematics students. This study explored the relationship between developmental mathematics student performance and developmental education programs of the Urban Community College District colleges. In addition, this study set out to identify institutional characteristics between colleges whose developmental mathematics students met state mandated academic outcomes at higher rates than their sister colleges.

Download or read book Analysis of Developmental Mathematics Programs in Texas Community Colleges which are Successful with Black and Hispanic Students written by Linda Louise Gibbs and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Exploring Best Practices in Developmental Mathematics written by Brian V. Cafarella and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Currently, many community colleges are struggling with poor student success rates in developmental math. Therefore, this qualitative study focused on employing best practices in developmental mathematics at an urban community college in Dayton, Ohio. Guiding the study were the following research questions: What are the best practices utilized by a group of developmental mathematics instructors at an urban community college? How do these instructors employ such practices to enhance student learning? Participants consisted of 20 developmental mathematics instructors from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio who had taught at least six developmental math classes over a two-year period and who self-reported success rates of at least 60% during that time. This study employed a pre-interview document and a face-to-face interview as the primary research instruments. Using the constant comparison method (Merriam, 2002a), the researcher constructed findings from both approaches regarding best practices in developmental math. Such practices included communication with students, the art of organization, collaborative learning, frequent low stake assessments, technology supplements, the use of mnemonics and memorable wording, and manipulatives, visuals and real-life applications. When addressing the topic of acceleration, the participants reported that this strategy is a proper fit for some students but not all. The following conclusions were based on the findings from this study. Effective communication should be established between developmental math instructors and students as well as among developmental math instructors. Developmental math faculty ought to work with their students in developing their organizational skills. Developmental math instructors should couple the implementation of frequent low stake assessments with student outreach. Collaborative learning can be beneficial to some developmental math students, but instructors must take into account the composition of the class as well their own comfort level with collaborative learning. It is also important for developmental math instructors to employ some creativity in their classes. Accelerated instruction should be reserved for higher ability developmental math students with a strong work ethic. Lastly, college administrators must recognize and respect instructor comfort level. The findings from this dissertation will assist both new and veteran developmental math instructors with implementing practices that will enhance student success in their classes. The findings are also intended to aid community college leaders in gaining an understanding of the culture of developmental math and assist these leaders in the implementation of policy and practice regarding developmental math.

Download or read book Rising to the Challenge written by Lynne E. Kowski and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Commitment to educational access for all students is the primary mission for many community colleges. Postsecondary developmental education is a path to achieve educational equity for many students not prepared for the rigor of college-level courses. In community colleges postsecondary developmental education gives incoming freshmen a place where they can obtain the necessary prerequisite proficiencies needed to achieve success in their college-level courses (Armstrong, 2000; Brothen & Wambach, 2004; McCabe 2000). This paper includes a literature review of developmental education reform initiatives throughout the country, as well as effective past studies regarding postsecondary developmental education in mathematics and its impact on postsecondary success. The primary research focus is to determine if community college students who require and successfully pass developmental mathematics exhibit similar academic outcomes as those not requiring any developmental mathematics. Since this is a clustered sample, students clustered by the high school from which they graduated, hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) is used to compare the long-term academic outcomes of traditional age (directly out of high school), first time in college (FTIC) students attending a New Jersey, Achieving the Dream (ATD) community college. Initial findings from the fall 2009 cohort show that students requiring developmental education in mathematics, once successfully remediated, experience comparable college-level mathematics course grades to those not requiring developmental mathematics; indicating that developmental mathematics programs can in effect repair initial educational deficiencies for those who pass all courses in the required developmental mathematics sequence with grade of C or better. Unfortunately, also found significant was that developmental mathematics students who started in the lowest level of developmental mathematics are the least likely to persist until successful remediation, thereby eliminating any aspirations of graduating and/or transferring. This study validates the initial findings from one freshmen cohort to another with regard to successful mathematics remediation, as well as expands predictors to include developmental English, financial aid and demographics such as ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, since many students in developmental mathematics do not complete their remediation in a timely manner and/or drop-out of college, this study also investigates what factors increase or decrease the likelihood of successful mathematics remediation, thereby enhancing or inhibiting persistence to graduation or transfer to a four-year institution.