Math Start

Project Status: Monitor/Assess

The Math Start initiative will strive to address various student success metrics for students who test in developmental math courses. PSU data indicates that full-time first-year students who test at Math 95 or lower persist at a rate 15% lower than their peers. Further, about a third of the students who take Math 95 will not complete the course, and many who do not pass leave PSU without a degree. Additionally, there are equity gaps for Hispanic/Latinx students. The Math Start Initiative aims to determine if there are alternatives to Math 95 at PSU and a viable option for students placed into Math 95 or below to start at college-level math.

Accomplished

Secured institutional approval to reform developmental math education by replacing the non-credit bearing Math 95 course with credit bearing, corequisite support models, aligning PSU with national best practices.

In Progress

Math department launched Google form to aid in the registration of corequisite and parent math course
PSU is working with the SCIENCE Collaborative to develop a white paper on math corequisites in university settings
Determine the appropriate department for submission of the curriculum request for the Qualities in Math confidence course.

Project Health

Expected deliverables and outcomes Include:

Design course alternatives to developmental math at PSU
Increase the number of students in each section
Improve the usage of ALEKS testing
Expanded communication efforts to promote the courses and communicate the benefits to students

Factors Inhibiting deliverables Include:

ALEKS Assessment is not required
Partnership and collaboration with the Math dept to support the goals and initiatives of Math Start.

Project Team

Sponsor: Matthew Carlson
Lead: Shoshana Zeisman-Pereyo
Project Manager: Pamela Bock
Team: Matthew Carlson, Andrea Garrity, Allyson Meyers, Steven Boyce, Jodi Stiegemeyer, Eva Thanheiser