In this paper, departments are urged to consider implementing the type of changes proposed in Beyond Crossroads in College Algebra. The author of this paper is chair of the Curriculum Renewal Across the First Two Years (CRAFTY) Committee of the Mathematical Association of America. The committee has members from two-year colleges, four-year…

This article presents a case study of a two-year pilot to increase pre-collegiate math course success rates at a large community college. The EnableMath pilot involved the use of computerized software that allowed students to practice math problems in a lab during class time. Additional components of the program included the administration of the…

This system summary highlights the high school graduates who attended a community or technical college in the year following graduation (Part A and B). Part C provides information on the students who delayed enrollment at the college for one or two years after high school graduation. Part D describes the expenditures for pre-college courses.…

One prohibitory component to graduation rates in college is the lack of student success in college algebra. The current national passing rate of college students enrolled in college algebra is approximately 40 percent. Lack of success in college algebra creating higher enrollments in remediation courses for students has also been linked to…

An important component of transitioning from a classroom instructor to a practicing teaching professional is a commitment to continuous growth and lifelong learning. The professionalization process is dynamic, producing a state of professionalism with changes in one's values, philosophy, and classroom activities. When considering a change in…

Assessment of student learning is key to all educational endeavors and required by governmental and accrediting bodies. Faculty initiate and implement assessment strategies to be sure that students are learning what is being taught. Classroom assessment is generally easier for faculty to embrace than course or program level assessment because…

Most two-year mathematics faculty initially won't gravitate toward the chapter on stakeholder involvement in implementing Beyond Crossroads. Faculty most likely will search out the chapter on curriculum and instruction. In fact, some mathematics faculty may not consider the relevancy of other stakeholders as an important factor for improving their…

The study sought to test the hypotheses that effective, guided discussions that facilitate meaningful dialogue about math anxiety would reduce levels of math anxiety in college algebra students, and would enhance course performance and course retention at a large community college in South Texas. The study was quantitative with a qualitative…

The harmonic series is one of the most celebrated infinite series of mathematics. A quick glance at a variety of modern calculus textbooks reveals that there are two very popular proofs of the divergence of the harmonic series. In this article, the authors survey these popular proofs along with many other proofs that are equally simple and…

The article provides a vision of how Beyond Crossroads can serve as a departmental guide to inducing systemic change at a two-year college. Curricular change does not mean just changing the content taught, it also means changing the way it is taught, the way learning may be assessed, and the ways in which faculty and administrators may evaluate…

Beyond Crossroads recognizes that success in the modern world demands higher-level thinking across the mathematical sciences. Broad quantitative literacy skills are essential for the college graduates of today and tomorrow if they are to be informed citizens and productive workers. Such skills include the quantitative aspects of daily life and…

This article presents an annotated bibliography of recent research related to academic advising. It includes eight research papers that focus on advising.

This article is written from the perspective of a department chair who recognizes that there are often significant barriers within the department to changing the curriculum. This article makes the case that changes are needed and suggests actions that can be the catalyst for change.

The case study approach is commonly used in the fields of law, medicine, and business administration to help apply theory to practice. This approach is equally useful in the teaching and learning of mathematics since various categories of coping strategies used to alleviate math anxiety become more meaningful when they are used to assist "real"…

As a precursor to lessons on prime decomposition and reducing fractions, rules are generally presented for divisibility by 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10 and sometimes for those popular composites such as 4 and 25. In our experience students often ask: "What about the one for 7?" and we are loathe to simply state that there isn't one. We have yet to see a…