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Pre-Transfer Mathematics at Berkeley City College: An Adaptive Approach

Pre-Transfer Mathematics at Berkeley City College: An Adaptive Approach. Presenter: Mary Jennings October 31, 2013 1:50-2:40 p. m. In California, all paths to graduation or transfer pass through intermediate algebra. Every student seeking an AA or AS degree must satisfy a

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Pre-Transfer Mathematics at Berkeley City College: An Adaptive Approach

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  1. Pre-Transfer Mathematics at Berkeley City College:An Adaptive Approach Presenter: Mary Jennings October 31, 2013 1:50-2:40 p. m.

  2. In California, all paths to graduation or transfer pass through intermediate algebra.

  3. Every student seeking an AA or AS degree must satisfy a minimum mathematics requirement of intermediate algebra,

  4. and every student seeking transfer to a four-year college must satisfy a minimum mathematics requirement of a transfer-level course.

  5. Intermediate algebra is a prerequisite to every transfer-level course.

  6. In the context of the Berkeley City College mathematics curriculum, we see intermediate algebra for the vital subject that it is:

  7. Traditional Berkeley City College Mathematics Pathways Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable Math 201 Elementary Algebra Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b * Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b Math 13 Statistics AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 1 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 50 Trigonometry AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 Math 18 Real Number Systems AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 Math 2 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 STEM Math 3A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Non-STEM Math 16A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3E Linear Algebra AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Non-Stem Math 16B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3C Calculus III AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 NOTE: Red boxes indicate courses required for AS-T degree in Mathematics. Math 3F Differential Equations AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2

  8. According to district institutional research, during the past five years, intermediate algebra students at Berkeley City College have been succeeding at an average rate of approximately 62%.

  9. This success rate is disappointing enough, but many students come to Berkeley City College unprepared even for intermediate algebra.

  10. These students enter our pre-transfer mathematics sequence one or more levels below intermediate algebra. The ramifications are striking:

  11. Not surprisingly, then, during recent years at Berkeley City College,

  12. at most 29% of students who have begun with elementary algebra have succeeded at intermediate algebra, Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable Math 201 Elementary Algebra 47% success Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b 62% success

  13. at most 15% who have begun with pre-algebrahave succeeded at intermediate algebra, Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable 50% success Math 201 Elementary Algebra 47% success Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b 62% success

  14. and at most 14% who have begun with arithmetichave succeeded at intermediate algebra. Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable 48% success 50% success Math 201 Elementary Algebra 47% success Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b 62% success

  15. This poses a significant challenge to the mathematics department and the college.

  16. The pre-transfer curriculum can amount to as many as 14 units of coursework for students and 16 units of instruction for faculty. In fact,

  17. during any given semester, the mathematics department invests approximately 47% of its resources in running pre-transfer-level arithmetic and algebra classes*: *This figure does not include proof-based geometry.

  18. Traditional Berkeley City College Mathematics Pathways Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable Math 201 Elementary Algebra Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b Yellow totals 47% of department resources * Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b Math 13 Statistics AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 1 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 50 Trigonometry AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 Math 18 Real Number Systems AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 Math 2 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 STEM Math 3A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Non-STEM Math 16A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3E Linear Algebra AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Non-Stem Math 16B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3C Calculus III AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 NOTE: Red boxes indicate courses required for AS-T degree in Mathematics. Math 3F Differential Equations AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2

  19. Even so, for example, of students who began at pre-algebra level in Fall 2009, less than 12% had successfully completed intermediate algebra by the end of Spring 2012.

  20. Even so, for example, of students who began at pre-algebra level in Fall 2009, less than 12% had successfully completed intermediate algebra by the end of Spring 2012. That was six semesters.

  21. Students working through the elementary-through-intermediate algebra sequence generally fare somewhat better:

  22. Math 201-Math 203 A Fall 2011 elementary algebra cohort success rate of 53.2% looks promising, but…

  23. Math 201-Math 203 the cohort’s intermediate algebra success rate tells a less encouraging story:

  24. Math 201-Math 203 Question: How did students get from a 53% success rate… …to a 25% success rate?

  25. Thirty-nine out of forty-nine students, almost 80%, who attempted intermediate algebra succeeded at passing it, but note what happened not during but before intermediate algebra:

  26. Math 201-Math 203 Answer: Students did not continue!

  27. Thirty-five students, over 22% of the cohort and 42% of those who succeeded at elementary algebra, did not continue immediately into intermediate algebra.

  28. Unfortunately even giving students three to four terms to complete the traditional Math 201-203 sequence makes little difference.

  29. Unfortunately, even giving students three to four terms to complete the traditional Math 201-203 sequence seems to make little difference. These results have obvious implications for students seeking an AA degree …

  30. …and for students seeking to transfer:

  31. Six-Semester Success One thing that is striking about the data above is that over a period of six semesters, out of a beginning cohort of 264, only 76 students (29%) attempted a transfer-level course and only 64 (24%) succeeded at one.

  32. Attempts Another thing that is striking is the number of attempts it shows.

  33. It took 448 attempts and six semesters to get 31% of a beginning cohort of 264 students through the elementary-intermediate algebra sequence between Fall 2009 and Spring 2012.

  34. This averages 1.7 attempts per student across the cohort.

  35. Some speculate that reducing the number of exit points on the path to graduation or transfer will improve student success rates.

  36. We recently added a new course, Math 206, Algebra for Statistics, to our curriculum in an effort to address this.

  37. Algebra for Statistics provides Berkeley City College students with an acceleration option that reduces the number of algebra units on the path to statistics from eight to six.

  38. Current Berkeley City College Mathematics Pathways Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable Math 201 Elementary Algebra Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b * Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b Math 13 Statistics AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 1 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 50 Trigonometry AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 Math 2 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 18 Real Number Systems AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 STEM Math 3A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Non-STEM Math 16A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3E Linear Algebra AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 16B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3C Calculus III AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 NOTE: Red boxes indicate courses required for AS-T degree in Mathematics. Math 3F Differential Equations AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2

  39. Current Berkeley City College Mathematics Pathways Math 250 Arithmetic Non-degree applicable Math 253 Pre-Algebra Non-degree applicable Math 201 Elementary Algebra Math 203 Intermediate Algebra AA/AS area 4b Math 206 Algebra for Statistics * Math 202 Geometry AA/AS area 4b Math 13 Statistics AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 1 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 50 Trigonometry AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 Math 2 Pre-Calculus AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 18 Real Number Systems AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4 STEM Math 3A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Non-STEM Math 16A Calculus I AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3E Linear Algebra AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 16B Calculus II AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 Math 3C Calculus III AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2 NOTE: Red boxes indicate courses required for AS-T degree in Mathematics. Math 3F Differential Equations AA/AS area 4b; CSU area B4; IGETC area 2

  40. Berkeley City College Mathematics Pathways to Transfer: Accelerated Path* to Statistics Compare this to this Math 250 Arithmetic Math 250 Arithmetic Math 253 Prealgebra Math 253 Prealgebra or Multiple Measures Assessment into Math 201 Math 201 Elementary Algebra4 units Math 206 Algebra for Statistics 6 units Math 203 Intermediate Algebra4 units Math 13 Statistics Math 13 Statistics

  41. Berkeley City College Mathematics Pathways to Transfer: Accelerated Path* to Statistics • Unfortunately this accelerated pathway is restricted to students who • intend to transfer and • do not intend to major in: • science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business, nursing, or nutrition,

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