Transcript Building Math Pathways to Programs of Study Indiana Commission for Higher Education September 1, 2015 Jenna Cullinane, Ph.D.

Building Math Pathways to
Programs of Study
Indiana Commission for Higher
Education
September 1, 2015
Jenna Cullinane, Ph.D.
About the Dana Center
The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at
Austin works with our nation’s education systems to ensure
that every student leaves school prepared for success in
postsecondary education and the contemporary workplace.
Our work, based on research and two decades of experience, focuses on K–
16 mathematics and science education with an emphasis on strategies for
improving student engagement, motivation, persistence, and achievement.
We develop innovative curricula, tools, protocols, and instructional supports
and deliver powerful instructional and leadership development.
2
A Closer Look:
What’s the real problem?
Developmental math…
It’s NOT
College-level
mathematics courses…
Student supports…
Programs of study…
Transfer or policy…
#PearsonLearn
3
A Closer Look:
What’s the real problem?
It IS the
DISCONNECT
between all these things
#PearsonLearn
4
The Dana Center’s Vision
Four Principles of Reform at All Levels of the
System
1
2
3
4
Multiple pathways aligned
to specific fields of study
Acceleration that allows most
students to complete a collegelevel math course in one year or
less
Intentional use of strategies to
help students develop skills as
learners
Curriculum design and
pedagogy based on proven
practice
NATIONAL
STATE
INSTITUTIONAL
FACULTY & CLASSROOM
utdanacenter.org
#PearsonLearn
5
The Dana Center’s Vision
NATIONAL
GOAL: Legitimize math pathways through professional
associations and mathematics leadership
•
KEY ACTIVITIES:
•
Common Vision 2025:
Collaboration of five math
professional associations to
modernize undergraduate pathways
Transforming Post-secondary
Education in Mathematics through
thought leaders promoting
constructive change in college
mathematics
#PearsonLearn
6
The Dana Center’s Vision
NATIONAL
GOAL: Legitimize math pathways through professional
associations and mathematics leadership
STATE
GOAL: Coordinate policy, institutional and organizational
efforts across state to promote NMP model
•
KEY ACTIVITIES:
•
Texas: Support policy change,
engage 21 universities and 47
community college systems
Other States: Mobilize faculty to set
vision for math pathways in
Colorado, Georgia, Indiana,
Missouri, Montana, New Mexico,
Ohio, and Oklahoma
#PearsonLearn
7
The Dana Center’s Vision
NATIONAL
GOAL: Legitimize math pathways through professional
associations and mathematics leadership
STATE
GOAL: Coordinate policy, institutional and organizational
efforts across state to promote NMP model
INSTITUTIONAL
GOAL: Build tools and services that help colleges to
implement systematic reform
KEY ACTIVITIES:
•
•
Texas: Offer institutional mentorship
Everywhere:
• Provide detailed implementation
guide and scaling toolkit
• Develop tools and strategies to
help train advisors and plan for
student recruitment
These resources are
available now.
#PearsonLearn
8
The Dana Center’s Vision
NATIONAL
GOAL: Legitimize math pathways through professional
associations and mathematics leadership
STATE
GOAL: Coordinate policy, institutional and organizational
efforts across state to promote NMP model
INSTITUTIONAL
GOAL: Build tools and services that help colleges to
implement systematic reform
FACULTY & CLASSROOM
GOAL: Develop professional learning and curricular
resources informed by faculty
•
KEY ACTIVITIES:
•
Course Materials: Mathematics &
Learning Frameworks
Faculty Training for Dana Center
courses and for general active
learning pedagogy
#PearsonLearn
9
Math Task Forces
#PearsonLearn
10
Building Mathematics Pathways to
Programs of Study project
• Project Overview
• Goal: dramatically increase the percentage of students
who pass gateway math courses and enter programs of
study in one academic year by building math pathways.
#PearsonLearn
11
Building Mathematics Pathways to
Programs of Study project
• Project Overview
• Goal: dramatically increase the percentage of students
who pass gateway math courses and enter programs of
study in one academic year by building math pathways.
• Modernization of undergraduate mathematics is a key
lever for improving college completion.
• Faculty must be at the forefront of this reform effort,
working in coordination at the system level.
• Making changes to well-established programs cannot be
carried out locally only--a statewide effort is needed.
#PearsonLearn
12
Building Mathematics Pathways to
Programs of Study project
• Charge
1. Convene math faculty leaders to develop
recommendations about improvement of
postsecondary mathematics
2. Design alternative gateway math pathways
3. Work with client disciplines
#PearsonLearn
13
Primary Activities
• Math courses and supports
• Policy obstacles
• Alignment & Advising
• Improvement
#PearsonLearn
14
National Context
#PearsonLearn
15
Why is it the “Right Time” for
Math Pathways?
Prioritization in the
national mathematics
community
Structural
forces in K12
education
Completion
agenda
Development of
structured
programs of
study
Shared
responsibility
for mobile
students
#PearsonLearn
16
Why is it the “Right Time” for
Math Pathways?
• A Common Vision for the Undergraduate
Mathematics Program in 2025
• Curriculum guides & calls to action from:
• AMATYC
• AMS
• ASA
• MAA
• SIAM
#PearsonLearn
17
Why is it the “Right Time” for
Math Pathways?
• Common themes - Curriculum
• Enhance students’ perceptions of the beauty & power of
mathematics, focusing on reasoning, communicating, and
interpreting
• More pathways
• Connections to other disciplines
• Common themes - Course structure
• Pedagogy
• Technology
#PearsonLearn
18
Why is it the “Right Time” for
Math Pathways?
“Mathematics courses are the most significant
barrier to degree completion in both STEM and nonSTEM fields. For example, each year only 50 percent
of students attain a grade of A, B, or C in college
algebra, and fewer than 10 precent of the students
who pass this class enroll in a calculus course (MAA,
2012, p. 49). “
#PearsonLearn
19
Recommendations from the Math
Community
“Unfortunately, there is often a serious mismatch
between the original rationale for a college algebra
requirement and the actual needs of students who
take the course. A critically important task for
mathematics sciences departments at institutions
with college algebra requirements is to clarify the
rational for requirements, determine the needs of
students, and ensure that department’s courses are
aligned with these findings.”
--Mathematics Association of America, Committee on the Undergraduate
Program in Mathematics, 2004
#PearsonLearn
20
Why is it the “Right Time” for
Math Pathways?
Prioritization in the
national mathematics
community
Structural
forces in K12
education
Completion
agenda
Development of
structured
programs of
study
Shared
responsibility
for mobile
students
#PearsonLearn
21
What is the “right math”?
• College algebra and traditional developmental
math sequences were designed in the 1950’s to
prepare students for calculus.
• But the majority of students are in majors that do
not require calculus.
#PearsonLearn
22
What is the “right math”?
Community College Student Enrollment into
Programs of Study
Four-Year Student Enrollment into
Programs of Study
Require
Calculus
20%
Do not
require
Calculus
80%
Require
Calculus
28%
Do not
require
Calculus
72%
Burdman, P. (2015). Degrees of freedom: Diversifying math requirements for college readiness and
graduation. Oakland CA: Learning Works and Policy Analysis for California Education.
#PearsonLearn
23
What is the “right math”?
Associate's Degrees Awarded
Bachelor's Degrees Awarded
Require
calculus
23%
Do not
require
calculus
77%
Require
calculus
38%
Do not
require
calculus
62%
Author’s calculations based on data from the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, 2013: Degrees Earned by CIP code
#PearsonLearn
24
Recommendations from the Math
Community
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ohio
Georgia
Missouri
Colorado
Houston
Nevada
Indiana
#PearsonLearn
25
Recommendations from the Math
Community
“The Steering Committee recommends developing
high-quality entry-level courses and pathways
connected to coherent programs of study for
students majoring in (1) mathematics, (2) other
mathematics-intensive majors, and (3) majors that
are not mathematics intensive.”
--Ohio Mathematics Steering Committee
#PearsonLearn
26
Recommendations from the Math
Community
“If Indiana is to make the transition to a new default
gateway math course for most majors, it must
identify the specific mathematical content that
should be taught in that course and ensure that the
related competencies are consistent with the
quantitative reasoning requirements for the Transfer
Core.”
--Indiana Math Innovation Council
#PearsonLearn
27
Recommendations from the Math
Community
"The final advising recommendation is to work with
partner disciplines, and include as part of the
regular program review process, to identify the top
math competencies the program faculty wants
students to get for the particular major, which will
lead to choosing the best gateway math course
(rather than defaulting to College Algebra, for
instance)" (p. 9).
--Colorado Math Pathways Task Force
#PearsonLearn
28
Transfer & Applicability
#PearsonLearn
29
Transfer Pathways
• Much of the transfer literature has focused only on 2yr  4yr transfer
• 46% of B.A. completers previously enrolled in community college
• 47% of transfers from a 4-yr move to other 4-yr institutions
Transfers to Texas Universities
Vertical Transfer
(2yr-->4yr)
40%
60%
Lateral Transfer
(4yr-->4yr)
AY 2004 & 2005 Starting Cohorts, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
#PearsonLearn
30
Credit Loss Linked to Transfer
Penalties
3 new studies provide evidence that transfer penalties are
associated credit loss.
• Nationally, among 2yr  4yr transfer students
• 42% of students loose more than 10% of their credits,
including 14% of students who loose more than 90%
of their credits
• Average credit loss: 8-9 credits
Source: Monaghan & Attewell, 2014; Simone, 2014; Cullinane, 2014
#PearsonLearn
31
Credit Loss Linked to Transfer
Penalties
Students who retain almost all credits in transfer have 2.5
greater odds of graduating than students who retain less
than half of their credits.
• Credit loss stifles and slows degree completion for both 2yr
and 4yr transfers.
Source: Monaghan & Attewell, 2014; Cullinane, 2014
#PearsonLearn
32
Transfer and Applicability
What we have found:
• There is increasing momentum behind
math pathways.
• In many cases, transfer is not the
problem; applicability to programs of
study is the problem.
• The issues vary widely from state to state.
#PearsonLearn
33
Transfer and Applicability
Recommended Strategies:
• Separate myth from reality
• Verify information about math requirements
• Look at data on student transfer from both the 2-year and the
4-year perspective
• Prioritize
• Where are most students going?
• And in what programs?
#PearsonLearn
34
Transfer and Applicability
Recommended Strategies:
• Facilitate program & metamajor
discussions between 2-year and 4year institutions and get the right
people in the room
#PearsonLearn
35
Lessons Learned
What we’ve discovered along the way
#PearsonLearn
36
Lessons Learned: Role of Leadership
• “Faculty-driven,
administratorsupported”
• Establish structures for
cross-institutional work
#PearsonLearn
37
Lessons Learned: Context Matters
• Take the time to build a
shared understanding
of the current context
• Build on strengths and
success
#PearsonLearn
38
Lessons Learned: Pathways, Not Courses
#PearsonLearn
39
Lessons Learned: Multiple Dimensions
Faculty & Staff
Supports
Delivery
Content
Placement
Articulation
PATHWAYS
Student
Supports
Sequence
Structure
#PearsonLearn
40
Lessons Learned: Design for Scale
• Set goals for scaling early
• Balance bold vision with practicality
• Engage broadly from beginning
#PearsonLearn
41
Lessons Learned: Work Systemically
• Include all stakeholders early
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Engage, don’t just tell
#PearsonLearn
42
Dana Center Contacts
• Jenna Cullinane: [email protected]
#PearsonLearn
43
Contact Information
• General information about the Dana Center:
www.utdanacenter.org
• Higher Education work:
www.utdanacenter.org/higher-education/
• To receive monthly updates about the NMP, contact us
at: [email protected]
#PearsonLearn
44