ERIC Number: ED583571
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017-May
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Math in the Real World: Early Findings from a Study of the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways. Research Brief
Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry; Diamond, John; Serna-Wallender, Elena
Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness
Until recently, most colleges required students to pass a college-level algebra course in order to earn a degree. As many as 50 percent to 70 percent of community college students enter college unprepared to take these courses, and fewer than 20 percent of such students ever successfully complete a college-level math course; the rest are effectively blocked from achieving a college degree. In 2012, the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin introduced the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP, formerly known as the New Mathways Project), which aims to revise the structure, content, and pedagogy of developmental and college-level math classes in an effort to improve students' outcomes. In 2014, the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness, with support from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences, partnered with the Dana Center to launch a rigorous evaluation of the DCMP. Overall, the findings are encouraging; DCMP students are having qualitatively different classroom experiences from those of students in traditional developmental math courses and enrolling in and passing these courses at higher rates. However, work still needs to be done to ensure that all eligible students are correctly advised into these new pathways and that their math credits will transfer seamlessly to four-year college partners.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Required Courses, College Students, College Preparation, College Readiness, Program Evaluation, Student Experience, Developmental Studies Programs, College Mathematics, Mathematics Skills, Statistics, Mathematical Logic, STEM Education, Statistical Analysis, Calculus, Observation, Interviews, Focus Groups, Academic Achievement, Teaching Methods, Alignment (Education), Student Records
Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness. Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street Box 174, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3091; e-mail: capr@columbia.edu; Web site: https://postsecondaryreadiness.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); University of Texas, Charles A. Dana Center
Authoring Institution: Columbia University, Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR); Columbia University, Community College Research Center; MDRC
Identifiers - Location: Texas (Austin)
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305C140007
What Works Clearinghouse Reviewed: Does Not Meet Evidence Standards
WWC Study Page: https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/study/90075