If an institution has multiple mathematics pathways in place and the ultimate goal of reform is to better meet the needs of students, then an essential element in the implementation process is guiding students into the path that is best suited to their educational goals. But what is the best way to communicate to freshmen—many of whom might already be feeling overwhelmed—what their course choices are and what the consequences of those choices might be? One college found success in an elegant, innovative solution. This summary is part of the Charles A. Dana Center’s “Notes from the Field” series, which highlights examples of innovative practices from colleges, universities, and systems.
This resource is a sample Dana Center communication -or Playbook- including tips from research and the field for the president and senior leadership team to support mathematics pathways implementation at scale.
Results of a survey aligning mathematical content to programs of study in Arkansas.
A common concern among those considering mathematics pathways is the degree to which students who begin their college-level work in non-STEM pathways might be hindered if they switch to a STEM major. This brief summarizes numerous studies examining the prevalence of students who changed majors from non-STEM to STEM fields and provides recommendations for serving those students.
This tool identifies key indicators of progress on each of the 10 Essential Actions outlined in the "DCMP Institutional Implementation Guide". The tool can provide a baseline assessment at the beginning of the implementation process and can be used periodically to guide continuous improvement.
This template supports the resource "Developing a Plan to Monitor and Support Institutional Progress" to help task force leaders develop a plan for monitoring and supporting institutional progress towards full-scale implementation of mathematics pathways.
This resource is intended to help task force leaders create an effective and inclusive process to develop a plan that monitors and supports implementation of mathematics pathways at multiple institutions.
Students who are struggling in mathematics can often find academic support in the form of one-on-one tutoring and drop-in help labs, which are commonplace at both two-year and four-year institutions. These supports provide personalized interventions and often play a key role in helping students succeed in gateway mathematics courses. Identifying effective practices in these types of student services, however, is a challenge that many institutions face. Oklahoma State University sought to address this challenge, which led to a revitalized mathematics support center that not only helps students through use of data-proven practices, but also serves as a center for ongoing research to improve its student support practices
Currently, most state- and system-level policy supports the transferability of credits but does not account for the applicability of those credits to a student’s program of study. Several states have taken steps to address this issue directly. While each state’s approach to the problem is distinct, all of them can be instructive in better understanding the nuanced policy and planning considerations needed to better serve students in this area.
In an effort to better align degree programs and strengthen the Non-STEM mathematics pathways across the state, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Arkansas Course Transfer System Mathematics Review Committee have issued recommendations to guide institutions as they determine which degrees/programs should accept Quantitative Literacy/Mathematical Reasoning (ACTS Course MATH1113) as the general education mathematics requirement.