Using Best Evidence to Find Solutions That Make a Difference

Lab Manual

Robert J. PachecoDirector of Research, Development and Planning

Barstow College

September 17, 2009

20X Magnification

ARCC Information For 20X Magnification

20X Magnification

ARCC Information For 20X Magnification

What Observations Can You Make At This Level?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Conclusions are Elusive?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

40X Magnification

ARCC Information For 40X Magnification

What Observations Can You Make At This Level?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Conclusions are Elusive?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 1: Demand, Success, and Retention For Elementary and Intermediate Algebra

Demand & Success

Part 1. Enrollments

Table 1A. Enrollments Number of students enrolled at census date (Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 573 674 706 780Evening 48 54 59 56Online 31 30 24 29Program Total 652 758 789 865

Part 2. Enrollments Per Section

Table 1C. Number of Sections(Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 14 15 17 18Evening 2 2 2 2Unknown/TBA/Online 1 1 1 1Program Total 17 18 20 21

Table 1D. Enrollments Per Section(Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 40.9 44.9 41.5 43.3Evening 24 27 29.5 28Unknown/TBA/Online 31 30 24 29

Part 3. Success & Retention

Table 1 E. Course Success Rate Intermediate AlgebraPercentage of students enrolled at census receiving a grade of A, B, C, or Credit (Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 46% 44% 41% 42%Evening 65% 63% 60% 61%Unknown/TBA/Online 65% 70% 65% 61%

Table 1F. Course Success Rate Elementary AlgebraPercentage of students enrolled at census receiving a grade of A, B, C, or Credit (Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 66% 64% 61% 62%Evening 65% 63% 60% 61%Unknown/TBA/Online 65% 70% 65% 61%

Table 1F. Course Success Rate ArithmeticPercentage of students enrolled at census receiving a grade of A, B, C, or Credit (Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 61% 54% 62% 62%Evening 70% 68% 71% 67%Unknown/TBA/Online 60% 60% 55% 51%

Table 1G. Course Retention Rate Elementary AlgebraPercentage of students enrolled at census receiving a grade other than W (Withdraw) (Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 78% 74% 76% 73%Evening 78% 77% 75% 75%Online 75% 71% 72% 70%

Table 1H. Course Retention Rate Intermediate AlgebraPercentage of students enrolled at census receiving a grade other than W (Withdraw) (Fall and Spring semesters only)

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Day 68% 64% 66% 63%Evening 70% 71% 70% 71%

Online 70% 70% 68% 71%

Demographics for Day Classes in Elementary and Intermediate Algebra

Demographics for Night Classes in Elementary and Intermediate Algebra

100x Magnification

MillionsX Magnification

ARCC Information For 40X Magnification

What Observations Can You Make At This Level?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Conclusions are Elusive?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPEN ENDED SURVEY QUESTION RESPONSES DAY ALGEBRAQ11. Please comment on any difficulties or hurdles you experience in passing Intermediate Algebra?I t has been so long since I have seen this stuff and I need to have a refresher. Once I saw the lessons a lot came back to me.

I took Algebra I in high school and passes the exit exam, but after I did I took business math courses. I did not know I was going to go to college. It’s been awhile.

My math teachers in high school sucked. I had way too many subs. I never learned it.

High school math was much easier than this Algebra. It went very fast at times. My grades went down over the semester, but I passed.

The teacher went too fast and wrote on the board all the time. We never did anything but solve problems from the book or home work.

Not enough practice tests. I bombed the first test and it took the rest of the semester to get my grade to a “C”.

I took the class in a 9-week session. Too fast, I dropped and went to a full semester.

This class was much harder than Elementary algebra. It was too fast.It is hard for me to find use of this. I am photography major but if I do not pass Intermediate Algebra, I cannot get a degree.The tests sometimes were very different than the homework.

Elementary Algebra teachers were more patient and gave chances to improve your grades. Here it is sink or swim.

Having this class at 8:00 am is tough because I work nights and I came to class a lot and needed to catch up on my sleep.

Blah, blah, blah same stuff I heard in high school.

Lab hours were not convenient; tutors were always too busy.

I was overwhelmed this first semester. I had to take English Math and Reading and I was buried. The classes were boring, I wish I could have taken another class that was in a major or something.

No one to study with. I really did not know anyone in the class and

I hated to ask questions because then the instructor would call on you for an identical problem and I barely got the first one right.

I had a hard time understanding my tutor. He was a nice guy, but he was not from the USA so I could not follow him.

What observations do you make about why the Algebra deficits are occurring? Which ones are within the college’s control?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you had only two interventions to select from, either 1) a tutorial/SI model or 2) learning community, which one would you pick and why?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________