Texas 2-year and 4-year transfer inventory guide for 2018-19.
Most state– and system–level policies and practices support the transferability of credits, but do not account for the applicability of those credits to a student’s program of study. Even when students are able to transfer credits, those credits might not count toward their desired majors, which can lead to wasted time, increased costs for both students and the state, and students dropping out of college altogether. Efforts to remedy these problems are most effective when enabled by a well-considered policy environment which, in turn, is informed by data. In Washington, substantive steps have been taken to address this issue with a data-driven process.
When the focus for entry-level mathematics shifted, over a decade ago, from access to success, it catalyzed demand for accelerated multiple mathematics pathways alongside the algebraic-intensive pathway. Subsequent successes have been exciting, showing more than three times the success rates for students in one third of the time for some programs. With these startling increases came a widespread concern about maintaining rigor within the discipline. In response to this concern, the Charles A. Dana Center engaged in a study of the meaning and intention of rigor in mathematics education. This paper first explores the meaning of rigor in mathematics education through a synthesis of interviews with leading mathematicians and educators, and presents a review of the literature in higher education and K–12. It concludes by offering recommendations for a shared definition of rigor and its implications for curriculum and instruction.
The Texas Success Center (TSC) collects statewide data to document progress Texas colleges are making in implementing the four principles of the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways Model (DCMP). This 4th annual TSC survey was designed to record progress toward high standards during DCMP implementation. Results of this survey were evaluated for recognition, and announced during a Texas Pathways Institute in November 2018.
The 2018 American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) standards guide lays out recommendations for impacting mathematical prowess, and improving mathematics education in the first two years of college. This guide builds on the content of, "Crossroads in Mathematics," and "Beyond Crossroads: Implementing Mathematics Standards in the First two years of College." As a part of this work, AMATYC outlines four pillars as key themes: • Proficiency: Developing Students' Mathematical Knowledge • Ownership: Taking Responsibility and Showing Initiative • Engagement: Developing Intellectual Curiosity and Motivation in Learning Mathematics • Student Success: Stimulating Student Achievement in Mathematics Finally, this guide serves as a resource for professional growth, and as a framework to make significant changes at the individual, departmental, and college level.
Six states gathered together in Fall 2018 to discuss progress and continuous improvement for mathematics pathways as a part of the Mathematics Pathways to Completion (MPC) project. This 13–minute video walks through the 3 essential elements of telling your story related to mathematics pathways in an effective and memorable way.
Mathematics pathways are a promising approach for improving student outcomes, but if implementation happens one college at a time and without statewide policy support, the potential for scaling is diminished. This report describes the structure of the MPC project and the supports that the Dana Center is offering to participating states. In addition, drawing on 33 semi-structured interviews with mathematics faculty, state-level leaders, and technical assistance providers across the six states, this report explores the question: What state-level structures, conditions, and processes facilitate statewide implementation of mathematics pathways?
This 13–minute video, led by Susan Bickerstaff of CCRC, discusses five themes that emerged as a part of evaluating the MPC project.
Implementation teams from six states gathered together in Fall 2018 to discuss progress and continuous improvement for mathematics pathways as a part of the Mathematics Pathways to Completion (MPC) project. This 26–minute video discusses normative practice at the MPC event, focusing on a state–level understanding of normative practice.
From 2015-2018, Michigan was one of six states engaged in the Dana Center's Mathematics Pathways to Completion project. As a decentralized higher education system, this brief describes the ways diverse stakeholders across Michigan have come together as a “coalition of the willing” to implement and strengthen mathematics pathways. Additionally, lessons are presented from Michigan's efforts to implement and scale math pathways that should be helpful to higher education institutions, associations, and systems in other states that want to make mathematics a tool for—rather than an obstacle to—student success.