Student Success

hands of three students holding calculators

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 replace the non-credit Math 95 course with credit-bearing, corequisite support models, aligning with national best practices for developmental math reform.
  • Offered one section of UNST 199: Qualities in Math Confidence course during the spring term.
  • Launched support courses in the spring term: one section of Math 199 (Precalculus Support) and one section of STAT 199 (Statistics Support).

In Progress

  • Collaborating with the SCIENCE Collaborative to develop a white paper on math corequisites in university settings.
  • Due to the uncertainty of UNST, the committee is currently determining the appropriate permanent departmental home for the Qualities in Math Confidence course and preparing the formal curriculum request. Budgeting for the course remains a concern.
  • Developing the 2026–2027 course schedule and securing funding for UNST 199.
  • Participating in the APLU national research study on introductory mathematics through the Math Start Initiative, a selection that recognizes PSU's math reform efforts among 25 out of 55 eligible institutions nationwide.

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
Team: Matthew Carlson, Andrea Garrity, Allyson Meyers, Steven Boyce, Jodi Stiegemeyer, Eva Thanheiser