Developmental Mathematics Reform: Choosing the Best Model

1

Developmental Mathematics Reform:

Choosing the Best ModelAMATYC ConferenceNovember 21, 2015

New Orleans, LouisianaRita Eisele, Sylvia Walker, Janet Delgado, and Cathy

Aguilar-MorganNew Mexico State University, Alamogordo

2

We used the core principles as outlined in "Core Principles for Transforming Remedial Education: A Joint Statement" as a guide for developing our models.

http://www.jff.org/publications/core-principles-transforming-remedial-education-joint-statement

Core Principles

3

Principle 3. Enrollment in a gateway college-level course should be the default placement for many more students.

Principle 4. Additional academic support should be integrated with gateway college-level course content — as a co-requisite, not a pre-requisite.

Principle 5. Students who are significantly underprepared for college-level academic work need accelerated routes into programs of study.

http://www.jff.org/publications/core-principles-transforming-remedial-education-joint-statement

Core Principles

4

Students who test into the lowest levels of math (Mathematics Preparation for College Success or Pre-Algebra) will be placed into a 3-semester track which will include:

Mathematics Preparation for College Success and Pre-Algebra

Beginning Algebra Part I/Beginning Algebra Part II (or Beginning Algebra with supplemental instruction)

Intermediate Algebra or Math Appreciation

Our Approach for Principle 5

5

A student who tests into our Mathematics Preparation for College Success usually spends two years in developmental courses before they can take a class that counts as college credit.

Title V grant (No Time to Lose) has helped us design and implement methods to speed up the process.

Community College Developmental Math (CCDM)

6

Purpose of grant is to develop ways to fast-track developmental students so they can complete their STEM degrees in a more timely fashion.

Provides support for materials and professional development.

Purchase laptop computers Manipulatives (Mathematics Preparation for

College Success/Prealgebra) Structural changes to lab.

CCDM and Title V

7

Develop a deeper conceptual understanding to prepare students for future classes.

Introduce critical thinking. Meet every day to reinforce concepts. Provide extra instruction in problem areas.

Teaching Strategy

8

Combine Mathematics Preparation for College Success and Prealgebra into one semester

Continue to use computer software (self-paced) and same learning outcomes

Meet 4 days per week Use a variety of teaching strategies to address

multiple learning styles.◦ Manipulatives◦ Self-paced◦ Group activities◦ Mini-lectures

Mathematics Preparation for College Success/Prealgebra Strategy

9

Fractions!◦ Understanding equivalent fractions◦ Finding GCF and LCM◦ Prime factorization◦ Simplifying fractions and rational expressions

Proportional reasoning Factoring polynomials Multiplying binomials

Problem Areas

10

7 students have completed either Intermediate Algebra or Math Appreciation.

2 students have completed Intermediate Algebra, and are currently enrolled in my College Algebra class.

4 students have completed Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, and Business Calculus or Introduction to Statistics

1 student made it through Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Business Calculus, and Introduction to Statistics and also transferred to the main campus and was successful in taking a 300 level of Statistics course.

Some Success Stories

11

Basic math has given me the confidence to tackle, and has prepared me in more than one ways for my upper division math classes; it helped me identify and analyze patterns, solve real world problems, problems that occur in our day to day life, it also helped me develop logic and critical thinking, and finally it helped me realize the relationship between life and the importance of math.

Student Quote

12

Our two sections of the course are participating in a study comparing online self-paced learning systems.

One section of the course is using ALEKS, while the other section is using Core Skills Mastery (CSM).

Both systems fill in gaps in students’ math skills, but CSM also teaches literacy skills.

Fall 2015 Mathematics Preparation and Pre-Algebra

13

The sections use the same teaching strategies, including manipulatives, videos, and mini-lectures, differing only in the online learning system used.

The classes take the same weekly quizzes, and will take the same final exam.

Both sections took the Compass test at the beginning of the semester, and they will take it again at the end of the semester. Before and after scores will be compared.

Fall 2015 Mathematics Preparation and Pre-Algebra(continued)

14

Offered as consecutive eight week classes in one semester to enable students who have passed Intermediate Algebra to take Calculus after only one semester of preparation.

Amount of time usually spent on review of college algebra material was reduced in the precalculus class.

College Algebra/Precalculus (compressed)

15

Semester College Algebra Precalculus**

Spring 2013* 63.2% 54.5%Fall 2013* 25% 100%

Pass Rates for College Algebra paired with Precalculus

(compressed)(with ‘C’ or better)

*Compressed – 1st 8-week College Algebra course meeting 4 days a week, followed by 2nd 8-week Precalculus course meeting 4 days a week. **Students who enrolled only in Precalculus were informed before the first day of class that time spent on review would be reduced.

16

0%30%60%90%63.2%

25%

72.2% 63.4%

CompressedStandard (16-weeks)

College Algebra Pass Rates(C or better)

17

0%30%60%90% 55%

100%100%

CompressedStandard (16-weeks)

Precalulus Pass Rates(C or better)

18

Success: All students who took both classes passed precalculus with a C or better.

Problem: In the two semesters the classes were offered, only 4 students took both classes.

Summary

19

Provide an opportunity for students to complete the developmental math course and a gateway math course in a reduced time frame.

By using a combined Beginning and Intermediate Algebra book, the students will not have as much repetition of previously learned material, which would enable more class time for new material in Intermediate Algebra.

An additional benefit of using a combined book would be reduced college expenses for students.

Beginning Algebra/Intermediate Algebra Strategies

20

Semester Beginning Algebra Intermediate AlgebraSpring 2013 – compressed* 85.8% 83.3%Fall 2013 – co-requisite** 71.4% 35.7%Spring 2014 – co-requisite** 100% 66.7%Spring 2015 – compressed* 78.5% 91.7%Fall 2015 – compressed* 100% 87.5% (Estimate)

Pass Rates for Mathematics Developmental course (Beginning Algebra) paired with a

gateway course (Intermediate Algebra) (with ‘C’ or better)

*Compressed – 8-week Beginning Algebra course meeting 4 days a week, followed by 8-week Intermediate Algebra course meeting 4 days a week. **Co-requisite – 16-week courses meeting two days a week. Beginning Algebra course met on days before the Intermediate Algebra courses.

21

Beginning Algebra Pass Rates (C or better)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100% 0.855 0.9171

76.5% 73.1%92.9%

75.9%85.6%

71.4%

100.0%

Compressed

Co-requisite

Standard (16-weeks)

22

Intermediate Algebra Pass Rate (C or better)

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%

100.0% 0.858 0.917 0.87573.5%

60.0%69.6%

83.3% 81.9%

35.7%

66.7%

CompressedCo-RequisiteStandard (16 weeks)

23

With both the compressed and co-requisite courses, students are able to complete their developmental math course sequence sooner, and therefore, enroll in a college level course sooner.

Students met every day, which reinforces their math skills on a daily basis.

Advantages

24

These two courses combined are seven hours of students’ financial aid.

Incorrect placement of students in these courses may delay being able to advance in their math sequence.

Not all students are able to move at the faster pace of an eight week course or be able to juggle two math courses in one semester.

Disadvantages

25

Mathematics Preparation for

College Success (4 credits)

Pre-algebra (4 credits)

Developmental Algebra I/II

(4 credits each)Algebra Skills

(4 credits)

Developmental Math Redesign(Fall 2016)

Intermediate Algebra

(3 credits)or

Math Appreciation(3 credits)

Supplemental Instruction

Homework Lab

Supplemental Instruction

Mathematics Preparation

and Pre-algebra (5 credits)

26

Any student testing below Developmental Algebra I/II will be placed into Mathematics Preparation and Pre-Algebra course.

Best practices indicate multiple teaching strategies, such as:Learning StylesManipulativesStudent – student and student-instructor interactionLectureVideo

Will AE (Adult Education) be able to assist if student has difficulty in Mathematics Preparation and Pre-Algebra?

Mathematics Preparation and Pre-Algebra

27

• Intermediate Algebra– Student placing into Developmental Algebra I/II • Will be placed into Intermediate Algebra with

supplemental instruction and homework lab

– Student placing into Algebra Skills• Will be placed into Intermediate Algebra with

supplemental instruction (homework lab optional)

Gateway Courses

28

• Math Appreciation– Student placing into Developmental Algebra I/II• Will be placed into Math Appreciation with

supplemental instruction and homework lab

– Student placing into Algebra Skills• Will be placed into Math Appreciation with

supplemental instruction (homework lab optional)

Gateway Courses

29

• Students NOT testing into developmental have the option to enroll in supplemental instruction and/or homework lab.

• Goal of supplemental instruction is to provide foundation for gateway course AND same best teaching practices, as in Mathematics Preparation and Pre-Algebra.

Students in Gateway Course

30

Mathematics Preparation for

College Success (4 credits)

Pre-algebra (4 credits)

Developmental Algebra I/II

(4 credits each)Algebra Skills

(4 credits)

Developmental Math Redesign(Fall 2016)

Intermediate Algebra

(3 credits)or

Math Appreciation(3 credits)

Supplemental Instruction

Homework Lab

Supplemental Instruction

Mathematics Preparation

and Pre-algebra (5 credits)

31

• Math Appreciation– Change to Quantitative Reasoning?

• Focus is on:– Percentages in the real world (relative change, of vs. more

than/less than, recognizing problems with percent calculations)– Statistical studies (identifying characteristics and types of

studies, evaluating studies)– Characteristics of data (descriptive statistics, graphs)– Inferential statistics (confidence intervals, natural variation,

emphasis on interpretation, not calculation)– Financial literacy (exponential growth, characteristics of

investments and types of debt)(information gathered from Fort Lewis College, First Year Experience)

Math Appreciation

32

Our math department is willing to continually adapt to the needs of the students.

The faculty’s goal is to help students successfully complete math courses through college-level math in as short a time as possible.

We have embedded student tutors in several of our math classes to help provide assistance to students.

The math faculty will continue working on student placement.

Comments/Recommendations

33

Thank you!Rita EiseleAssociate Professor of MathematicsNMSU Alamogordo575.439.3774reisele@nmsu.edu

Janet DelgadoAssistant Professor of MathematicsNMSU Alamogordo575.439.3773jadelgad@nmsu.edu

Sylvia WalkerAssistant Professor of MathematicsNMSU Alamogordo575.439.3772sewalker@nmsu.edu

Cathy Aguilar-MorganProfessor of MathematicsNMSU Alamogordo575.439.3768cagmor@nmsu.edu