Using Multiple Measures of Mathematics Readiness Improves Student Success at Middlesex Community College
In recent years, researchers and math faculty have questioned the use of standardized tests as a sole predictor of college readiness. Often, test scores underestimate student potential to succeed in college-level courses and disproportionately place students of color, low-income students, and returning adults into prerequisite developmental courses. A growing body of rigorous studies finds that giving students direct access to college-level courses with co-requisite support significantly increases the likelihood that students across a broad range of test scores will complete a college mathematics course. Research also demonstrates that using multiple measures of readiness, including high school GPA, increases student access and success in college-level courses. In light of these findings, Middlesex Community College implemented and scaled a placement policy using multiple measures of mathematics readiness with positive results that demonstrate its impact on improving student success in college-level mathematics courses.