This book explores the rich history of community college math with a specific focus on gatekeeper math classes. Gatekeeper math classes include courses such as college algebra, introduction to statistics, and all developmental math classes. For community colleges, successful completion of these classes is imperative for student retention.
This book presents a decade-by-decade analysis of the history of community college mathematics. The author employs a mix of conceptual, empirical, and quantitative research. The empirical research stems from interviews with 30 community college faculty members from seven community colleges.
From the 1970s to the pandemic in the early 2020s, the book explores math curricula as well as trends, initiatives, teaching practices, and mandates that have impacted community college math. The positives and negatives of such trends, initiatives, and mandates are presented along with suggestions on how to apply such knowledge going forward.
The author addresses the key questions: How can we build a future model for community college gatekeeper math classes that is both successful and sustainable? Additionally, how can we learn from the past and the present to build such a model?
This book will be ideal for students in graduate programs focusing on community college leadership or developmental education leadership as well as all those hoping to improve success rates in community college mathematics programs.
Author(s): Brian Cafarella
Publisher: CRC Press/Chapman & Hall
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 277
City: Boca Raton
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Author
1. Higher Education: From the Elite to the Mass to the Universal
The Inception of American Higher Education
The Start of Mathematics in Higher Education
The Changing Landscape of Higher Education
The Progressive Movement
The Two-Year Junior College
A Focus on Math and a Greater Need for Developmental Math
The Rise of the Community College
The Uniqueness of the Community College Model
Summary
References
2. The 1970s: Mathematics and the Community College Become Acquainted
The Participants
Professor Ballard
Professor Mitchell
Professor Milacki
Professor Morgan
Professor DeLeon
Professor Fenimore
Professor Wallace
Professional Development
Placement Testing
Course Structure
Sisco Community College (Quarter System)
Basic Mathematics (Developmental Math—No Credit)
Algebra 1 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Algebra 2 (Credit-Bearing Course)
College Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
Statistics (Credit-Bearing Course)
Telford Community College (Quarter System)
Fundamentals of Mathematics (Developmental Math)
Elementary Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Intermediate Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
College Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Statistics (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Bordi Community College (Quarter System)
Basic Concepts of Mathematics (Developmental Math)
Fundamentals of Algebra 1 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Fundamentals of Algebra 2 (Credit-Bearing Course)
College Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
Statistics (Credit-Bearing Course)
Habyan Community College (Quarter System)
Basic Mathematics (Credit-Bearing Course)
Elementary Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
Intermediate Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
College Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
Statistics (Credit-Bearing Course)
Griffin Community College (Semester System)
Basic Arithmetic (Developmental Course)
Algebra 1 (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Algebra 2 (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
College Algebra with Trigonometry (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Statistics (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Lester Community College (Quarter System)
Fundamentals of Mathematics (Developmental Mathematics)
Fundamentals of Mathematics I (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Fundamentals of Mathematics II (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
College Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Statistics (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Instructional Modality for Math Courses
Study Guides….What a Concept!
Community College Math Student Population in the 1970s
The Difference between Lower- and Higher-Level Math Students
Learning Disabilities
Calculator Policy
Formal Department Meetings
Relationships with Administration
Summary
References
3. The 1980s: Community College Mathematics Reaches New Heights
Participants in This Chapter
Professor Thurmond
Professor Bell
Professor Johnson
Continued Professional Development
NADE (National Association for Developmental Education)
Course Structure (Circa Mid-1980s)
Sisco Community College (Quarter System)
Basic Mathematics (Developmental Math—No Credit)
Algebra 1 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Algebra 2 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Algebra 3 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Telford Community College (Quarter System)
Computational Skills (Developmental Math)
Basic Concepts of Algebra (Developmental Math)
Elementary Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Intermediate Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Bordi Community College (Quarter System)
Basic Concepts of Arithmetic (Developmental Math)
Fundamentals of Algebra 1 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Fundamentals of Algebra 2 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Fundamentals of Algebra 3 (Credit-Bearing Course)
Habyan Community College (Quarter System)
Basic Mathematics (Developmental Course)
Introduction to Algebra (Developmental Math)
Elementary Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
Intermediate Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course)
Griffin Community College (Semester System)
Basic Arithmetic (Developmental Course)
Algebra 1 (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Algebra 2 (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Lester Community College (Quarter System)
Fundamentals of Arithmetic (Developmental Mathematics)
Introduction to Mathematics (Developmental Mathematics)
Elementary Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Intermediate Algebra (Credit-Bearing Course in the Math Department)
Changes in Course Structure
A Shift to Standardized Placement Testing
Improving Student Engagement
Preparation Is the Name of the Game
A Slightly Changing but Still-the-Same Student Population
The Birth of Tutorial Services
Emphasis on Study Skills
Counseling for Students
Method of Instruction
Technology for Community College Math Courses in the 1980s
Calculators
Videos
The Emergence of Computer Software
Continued Positive Relationships with Administration in the 1980s
Summary
References
4. The 1990s: Mathematics Enters a New Age
Professor McDonald
Professor Timlin
Professor Mesa
Professional Development Grows and Gains More National Attention
AMATYC (American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges)
NADE (National Association for Developmental Education)
Course Structure (1995)
Basic Concepts of Arithmetic I
Basic Concepts of Arithmetic II
Rationale for the Restructure
General Mathematics
Instructional Modalities
Lecture Plus
Phasing Out the Emporium Model
Contextualization
The Development of Distance Learning
Continued Efforts to Improve Student Success and Development
The Continuing Development of Math Tutorials
Student Outreach
Women in Transition
Calculator Policies of the 1990s
The Student Population Ages and Changes
The Rise of ESL Students
The Challenges for ESL Students
Teacher Preparatory Classes
Shifting Relations between Faculty and Administrators
Math Wars Brewing Below
Summary
References
5. The Aughts (2000–2009): A Time of Reform and Turbulence
What Happened?
Returning Participants
Additional Participants
Professor Sutcliffe
Professor Moyer
Professor Trombley
Professor Lopez
Professor Mussina
Developmental Math Gets Bombarded with Statistics
Success Rates Impact State Funding
Persistence Rates Lead to Course Restructure
Lester Community College
Telford Community College
Griffin Community College
Course Restructure Reversed
National Initiatives to Improve Student Success in Math
Acceleration
The Return of the Emporium Model
The Return of Learning Communities
Lecture Becomes a Four-Letter Word
Service-Learning: An Effective but Misplaced Initiative
Supplemental Instruction
Distance Learning Morphs into Online Learning and Explodes
The Challenging Student Population
Higher Demand for Arithmetic Courses
Equity Concerns
Additional Behavioral and Social Issues
Shorter Attention Spans
Student Entitlement
Low Admissions Standards on a National Level
Conflicting Messages from Within
Issues with Uniformity and Too Much Uniformity
Exams
Collaboration
Calculators
Grading
Too Much Uniformity
What about Statistics and College Algebra?
Statistics Moves into the Twenty-First Century
College Algebra Remains Stagnant
Summary
References
6. The Teens Part 1: Turbulence and Change Continue
New and Returning Participants
Professor DeSilva
Professor Guzman
Professor Holton
Professor Hickey
Professor Williamson
Professor Noles
Professor Douglass
The Ambiguity of Intermediate Algebra
Complete College America
The Move from Quarters to Semesters and the Compression that Followed
The Pressure to Compress
SCC
BCC
TCC
The Emporium Model Continues
The Decline of Arithmetic Classes
The Lowering of Standards in Higher-Level Math Classes?
Accreditation and Faculty Credentialing Issues
Dual Enrollment
Multiple Measures
Common Core Forms Below
Summary
References
7. The Teens Part 2: Alternative Pathways Lead to Signs of Reform
New and Returning Participants
Professor Harnich
Professor Smith
Alternative Math Pathways
Statway
Quantway
Corequisites
The Application of Statway and Quantway
Statway with the Corequisite Has Gone Well
QR with the Corequisite Has Been a Tougher Transition
Group-Based Instruction Aside, QR Has Been Beneficial
A Closer Look at Corequisites: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Elimination of Standalone Developmental Math
Does Eliminating Standalone Developmental Math Increase Completion Rates?
Arithmetic but No Algebra
Why the Push to Eliminate?
Slim Pickings for Non-Credentialed Faculty
Habyan and Bordi Reverse the Course
The Pathways at the End of the Teens
Griffin Community College
Bordi, Habyan, Telford, and Sisco Community Colleges
Assisting ESL Students
A Deeper Understanding of ESL Students
Additional Resources for ESL Students
Professional Development for Math Faculty
Continued Challenge
Addressing the Equity Gap for Minority Students in Math
Where Are the Minority Students Coming From?
Outreach to the Inner-City Communities
Assistance and Guidance When Entering School
Educating Faculty
General Student Outreach
Student Profiling
Early Intervention
Internet Videos
Open Educational Resources
Reduced Cost or Free Software
Summary
References
8. Teaching during the Pandemic: What We Experienced and What We Learned
Community College Math Goes Fully Virtual and Online
The Participants
Professor Brown
Professor Rhodes
Professor Stephens
Conversion to Virtual Instruction
Lack of Engagement
Volume of Need Too High
Testing
What about Arithmetic?
What Worked Well with Virtual Instruction?
Higher Comfort Level and Less Anxiety
More Time on Task
Recorded Sessions
Success Rates for Virtual Instruction
Explanations
The Style and Role of Virtual Classes
Virtual Instruction Can Increase Accessibility for Students
Instructor Absences
Virtual Tutoring
Summary
Reference
9. Learning from the Past and Present
Standalone Developmental Math Will Always Be a Part of Community College Math
Full-Length Arithmetic Courses Are Ineffective, but Addressing Arithmetic Is Essential
There Was Culture Change, Which Led to Culture Shock
But It Has Always Been and Will Always Be about Money
Alternative Math Pathways Have Been the Most Successful Initiative Thus Far
We Take Good Practices and Go Too Far
The Emporium Model Will Always Be Around in Some Form
Will Online and Virtual Instruction Replace In-Person Learning?
Effective Teaching Involves Well-Rounded Instruction
Change Will Never Occur Unless There Is Legitimate Faculty Buy-In
There Is No End in Sight for Student Entitlement and Student Consumerism
While Times Have Changed, Math Content Has Remained Stagnant
Summary
References
10. Suggested Mathematical Models for Sustaining Success
Returning Participants
Suggested Pathways for Sustained Success
Arithmetic
Pathway 1
Pathway 2
Pathway 3
Pre-Algebra/Introduction to Algebra
Elementary Algebra
Intermediate Algebra
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning Booster Course
Introduction to Statistics
Introduction to Statistics Booster Course
College Algebra
College Algebra Booster Course
Logistics for Booster Courses
Length
Virtual Booster Classes?
Instruction
Enrollment Flexibility
Alternative Math Pathways Reduce Time and Cost for Students
Why Should Students Who Complete Introduction to Algebra Enroll in a Booster Course?
How Much Uniformity Is Necessary for Policies and Assessment?
Average Class Size
Additional Initiatives to Sustain Success
Supplemental Instruction
Learning Communities
Utilizing External Resources to Assist Students
Tutorial Services
Academic Advising
Student Responsibility
Closing Equity Gaps
Moving Forward with Math
References
Appendix A: Design of the Study
Appendix B: Lead Questions for Participants (1970s–2009)
Appendix C: Lead Questions for the Participants (2000–2019)
Appendix D: Lead Questions for the Participants (during the Pandemic and Beyond)
Appendix E: Demographic Questions
Index
