Characteristics of students placed in college remedial mathematics: Using the ELS 2002/2006 data to understand remedial mathematics placements (original) (raw)
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Society For Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2011
Body Background / Context: A large proportion of the high school graduates who attend a postsecondary institution take at least one basic skills/developmental/remedial course in either mathematics or English (Parsad & Lewis, 2003). A report from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (2000), which surveyed almost half of the community colleges in the state, found that, on average, 49 percent of students are directed to these basic skills courses. There is considerable debate on the effects and benefits of remediation in community colleges. Proponents argue that it enables poorly prepared high school students to attain the necessary preparation to succeed in college (Boylan, Bliss, & Bonham, 1994; 1997; Lazarick, 1997). On the other hand critics argue that the benefits of remediation are not clear given there is no evidence that remediated students passed college-level courses or attained degrees at higher rates than non-remediated students (Calcagno, 2007; Calcagno & Long, 2008; Martorell & McFarlin, 2007). In addition, there is evidence that students who were placed in remediation but who took college credit courses passed these courses (Armstrong, 1999). Finally, a major criticism is that, relative to its potential benefits, remediation is too costly for the students and for the state (James, Morrow & Perry, 2002). Every year more than 50 percent of the students from the LACCD are placed into basic skills mathematics. This is costly for the individuals and for the state. At the individual level, students need to take these courses before they can enroll in degree or transfer level courses, and this substantially increase the time that they remain in the system. The state in turn has to pay for courses that the students were supposed to take in high school. As described below, the effects of assignment of entering students to different levels of math on the academic preparation, persistence and educational outcomes are unclear at best. This study is an ambitious attempt to enhance the available research on this critical policy issue for the State of California and the nation. This evaluation will provide insights to the district and the state about the effect of placement on successful course sequences that have the potential to promote persistence and save millions of dollars to the state.
Research in Higher Education, 1999
Recent international comparisons show that themathematics achievement of American students is belowthe international average. In response to thissituation, the present study compared first-year college students enrolled in remedial-type mathematicscourses with their counterparts enrolled in nonremedialcoursework. Findings include that students enrolled innonremedial mathematics courses enter the institution with many advantages over students enrolled inremedial mathematics. Tests of a path analytic modelconfirmed that background variables play a major role indetermining success in college mathematics.
The Effects of Remedial Mathematics in Learning College Algebra
Journal of Education and Practice, 2012
Remedial program is composed primarily of sequence of activities designed to bring underprepared students to the level of skill competency expected of new college freshmen. There were 438 student respondents with complete grades in College Algebra classified according to their exposure to Remedial Mathematics. The main purpose of this study is to assess the effects of remedial mathematics instruction on students' performance in College Algebra. This study used the causal comparative research design which is appropriate when two groups differ on an independent variable and want to test hypotheses about differences on one or more dependent variables. A non-parametric statistical test, particularly the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test, was used to test the difference in the level of performance in College Algebra between the takers and the non-takers of the remedial program in Mathematics. On the other hand, the Fisher's Exact Probability Test was used to find the difference in the proportion of passers in College Algebra between the takers and the non-takers of the remedial program in Mathematics. The results obtained in this study may lend itself to some weaknesses of the remedial mathematics program which need to be identified and addressed in order to have a positive impact on the academic work of the students in the university. There is a need to establish the skills and competencies where the students are weak and address these weaknesses in the implementation of the Remedial Program in Mathematics.
ProQuest LLC eBooks, 2018
Over the course of several decades, a large body of research focused on community colleges has accumulated based on the high need for remediation in mathematics, and has been associated with high attrition rates at that level. Reform efforts have been largely unsuccessful. This qualitative study was conducted so that the phenomenon of the requirement of remedial coursework in math could be examined. Each of the 13 participants in the study took part in one open-ended interview in which they shared their experiences, including their backgrounds and beliefs about learning mathematics throughout their years of school prior to, and including their enrollment in remedial mathematics coursework at the community college level. A conceptual framework that blended adult learning theories, or andragogy, with current research about the effect of mindset on learning mathematics was utilized to interpret information gathered. Delimitations of the study were the exclusion of students who signed up for remedial math by choice without requirement and students in need of special education services. The data gathered from the participant narratives led to conclusions that common experiences existed among remedial math students including a negative mindset about mathematics, a distorted view of mathematics as a discipline, and negative perceptions about community college structures including advising, course structure, and course pathways. Conclusions gleaned from this study contributed to the body of research on this topic based on alignment with recommendations from researchers that the community college experience for remedial studies be changed to include explicit work on self-regulation and metacognitive strategies, as well as increased use of active learning strategies, and changes in policy regarding course placement and pathways.
An evaluation of a remedial mathematics programme
1995
This study investigated whether a remedial mathematics programme offered at Memorial University of Newfoundland improved students' performance in subsequent mathematics courses and/or changed their attitudes toward mathematics. Academic records from 194 remedial and 304 non-remedial students were examined. Results indicated that: a) remediation did not influence students' grades in subsequent mathematics courses; b) students' grade point average in high school as well as their performance in high school mathematics courses were reliable predictors of performance in university-level mathematics courses; c) students in a remedial mathematics programme were less likely than non-remedial students to enrol in more advanced mathematics courses; d) remedial students had lower overall grade point averages in high school and university than non-remedial students; and e) female students in the remedial programme perceived themselves to be less mathematically proficient than their ...
Corequisite Mathematics Remediation: Results Over Time and in Different Contexts
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2019
Traditional mathematics remediation is based on the theory that traditional mathematics remedial courses increase students’ subsequent academic performance. However, most students assigned to these courses do not pass them and thus cannot graduate. An alternative approach, corequisite remediation, assigns students instead to college-level quantitative courses with additional academic support, often aligned to a student’s major. Here, we report the longer-term results of a randomized controlled trial comparing corequisite remediation (with statistics) and traditional algebra remediation (297 students per group). The corequisite group not only demonstrated significantly higher quantitative course pass rates but also success in many other disciplines, as well as significantly higher graduation rates. We also report the results of two quasi-experimental analyses (propensity score matching) demonstrating higher pass rates for corequisite mathematics remediation with 347 additional students in different settings. Policies requiring corequisite mathematics remediation can result in greater student success than is obtained with traditional remediation.
Effectiveness of Remedial Mathematics Supplemental Instruction: a Community College Study
2019
from Hostos Community College and my cousin Mr. Malick Samateh who respectively edited and helped me set up my research data. My greatest thanks go to Aaron Jones Adjunct at Hostos Community College and Colleagues, my friends' doctoral candidates at Teachers College for their caring and encouragement until the end of this journey. I would also like to express a special gratitude to Mr. Albert Niamke who always encouraged me to go farther on my studies. Lastly, I would like to show my deepest appreciation to all Hostos Community College staff members and students who consecrated their time to answer my pre-test, post-test and questionnaire. B.S.