Community colleges have been under increasing pressure to devise alternate math pathways to the traditional sequence of developmental math classes. Considering the important role faculty play in student success, this qualitative study focuses on faculty perspectives regarding Quantway, a novel alternate pathway for community college students who…

Remedial courses have been part of the college landscape in the United States since at least the 1800s when nearly 250,000 students were placed into remedial courses. Traditionally, students who enrolled in remedial courses were placed into that course solely based on one test score. Students who enrolled in traditional remedial courses were more…

Assembly Bill (AB) 1705 requires community colleges to ensure that students pursuing calculus-based programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) begin math in the course that best positions them to complete their calculus requirement. According to the law, a college has this obligation for all STEM students, regardless of their…

For far too long in California, remedial courses in California Community Colleges meant costly barriers to student success. Fortunately, recent legislation -- Assembly Bill 705 signed into law in 2017 -- requires these colleges to eliminate remedial courses and instead use research-backed strategies like corequisite support to help students…

In 2017, the California State Legislature and governor adopted new law that fundamentally disrupted the long-held practice of remedial (or developmental) education in the California Community Colleges (CCCs). The law, Assembly Bill 705, was preceded by earlier reforms that changed how colleges could place students into remedial education, or basic…

Gateway courses are foundational, college-level courses that apply to a student's program of study or to a college's general education requirements. These courses are typically considered first-year or lower-division courses and serve as a basis for more advanced studies. Research has demonstrated that completing gateway courses in two key…

Students 25 years of age and older comprise one-third of the population in public two-year institutions, and these students face significant disadvantages in first-year retention and eventual graduation. Successfully passing college math and college English are important steps for adult students in building momentum toward a degree. Classroom…

This research brief highlights throughput rates for students enrolled in Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) by disability type. Findings show that throughput rates increased for every disability type from 2015-16 to 2019-20 in both English and mathematics. Evidence supports that AB 705 has resulted in improved outcomes for students…

Achieving the Dream (ATD) is one of 12 higher education and digital learning organizations that make up the Every Learner Everywhere (Every Learner) Network, whose mission is to help higher education institutions improve and ensure more equitable student outcomes through advances in digital learning, particularly among poverty-impacted, racially…

With the sudden onset of the pandemic, little was known about the implications of transitioning college mathematics classes to online environments. In light of many students' difficulties in passing remedial and first-year mathematics courses in both synchronous and asynchronous classrooms, gaining an understanding of the impact of this transition…

Objective: In numerous calls for reform to community college math instruction, contextualization has been identified as an effective approach to teaching and learning. Yet, little is known about how faculty contend with math contextualization and how they make decisions about its adoption. This study explored how community college faculty teaching…

This qualitative research study sought to help community colleges aid math faculty in making a transformation in their teaching practices. The research questions were: (a) What did it take for faculty to change their teaching style from traditional lecture-based instruction to one that incorporates low-stakes collaborative practice, just-in-time…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of co-requisite education on gateway mathematics, predicated on the Reinforced Instruction for Student Excellence (RISE) model, at a large urban community college (LUCC) in North Carolina. The research study explored the success rates in gateway mathematics courses in relation to the…

Assembly Bill (AB) 705 transformed California community colleges by placing all students into transfer-level mathematics, including students with learning disabilities (SWLD). This multimethod study of one community college district explores the impact of AB 705 on SWLD. The sequential multimethod design includes three phases: 1) document…

This document includes two technical appendices that accompany the full report, "Increasing Community College Transfers: Progress and Barriers." The two appendixes include: (1) Data and Methods; and (2) Figures and Tables. [For the full report, "Increasing Community College Transfers: Progress and Barriers," see ED608004.]