Kristen E. Fong Tatiana Melguizo George Prather Research & Planning Conference 4.2.13

1. Community College Student Progression through the Preparatory Math Sequence Kristen E. Fong Tatiana Melguizo George Prather Research & Planning Conference 4.2.13

2. Presentation Outline • Current study: • Data and sample • Progression as it has previously been studied • Alternative illustration of progression • Results FORMAT | 2

3. Data • Eight of the nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community • College District • Three cohorts of students who were assessed between summer • 2005 through spring 2008 and tracked through spring 2010. • Cohort 1 (2005-06) = 5 years • Cohort 2 (2006-07) = 4 years • Cohort 3 (2007-08) = 3 years METHOD | 5

4. Sample Specification • Assessed and placed into developmental math between • summer 2005 and spring 2008 • 2. Enrolled in any class at the college where they were • assessed • The following students were excluded: • Did not follow the recommended course placement • Concurrent high school students • Students who were 65 years or older METHOD | 6

5. Student Characteristics based on Initial Placement METHOD | 7

6. Placement by Race/Ethnicity METHOD | 8

7. Percentage of students passing each level of the math trajectory based on initial placement 54% n=5618 28% n=4012 12% n=1746 7% n=1004 IA N=10,344 Pass IA 51% n=7446 25% n=3654 14% n=2127 EA N=14,550 Pass EA 46% n=6776 23% n=3412 PA N=14,879 Pass PA 39% n=5961 AR N=15,106 Pass AR PROGRESSION FIGURES | 9

8. Percentage of students attempting and passing each level of the math trajectory based on initial placement Attempt 74% 70% 65% 65% Attempt 73% 83% 75% Attempt 67% 72% Attempt 61% 73% 78% 72% 72% PROGRESSION FIGURES | 10 IA N=10,344 Pass IA 70% 72% 75% EA N=14,550 Pass EA 68% 79% PA N=14,879 Pass PA 64% AR N=15,106 Pass AR

10. COLLEGE A Attempt 68% 74% 68% 69% Attempt 71% 88% 76% Attempt 69% 80% Attempt 62% 68% 70% 63% 57% IA N=1,546 Pass IA 60% 63% 60% EA N=1,737 Pass EA 56% 62% PA N=3,225 Pass PA 43% AR N=1,387 Pass AR

11. COLLEGE B Attempt 77% 80% 79% 79% Attempt 76% 88% 83% Attempt 73% 82% Attempt 69% 84% 79% 73% 71% IA N=1,648 Pass IA 77% 76% 71% EA N=2,911 Pass EA 74% 79% PA N=2,271 Pass PA 66% AR N=6,096 Pass AR

13. Remediation doesn’t work says the developing “consensus” • Too few progress through the sequence • The sequence is too long • The sequence is costly • Assessment tests are not valid

14. This critique is gathering momentum particularly because it is made by those attempting to use more rigorous methods for evaluating remediation • Regression Discontinuity Design • Policy Variation Design • On the strength of these critiques, some are calling for the virtual elimination of remediation • Complete College America

15. We believe the critique is overblown • Both forms of analysis have glossed over the lower levels of remediation in favor of the transfer courses • Have used 2nd and 3rd order data systems which may mask important nuance • Have assumed that remediation in English is the same as remediation in Math • Have assumed a universality of their cases without a discussion of how remedial systems and colleges may differ • We lack a typology of remediation or of community colleges

16. Most importantly, they have not suggested exactly what is broken or how it might be fixed • It takes too long, so accelerate • Put everyone in the transfer course with some supplemental help

17. What we have learned from an in depth examination of the assessment process and a holistic look at the math sequence • Setting cut scores is a complex, incremental process—multiple moving parts • Gets serious attention only when faculty perceive insufficient homogeneity in a particular course • Multiple measures considered of little importance but can be quite significant • Very difficult to appraise the whole process or to target specific intervention points

18. Mainly we have discovered questions • Need more research—particularly broad comparative studies

19. Arithmetic by Carl Sandburg • Arithmetic is where numbers fly like pigeons in and out of your    head.Arithmetic tell you how many you lose or win if you know how    many you had before you lost or won.Arithmetic is seven eleven all good children go to heaven -- or five    six bundle of sticks.Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand    to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.Arithmetic is where the answer is right and everything is nice and    you can look out of the window and see the blue sky -- or the    answer is wrong and you have to start all over and try again    and see how it comes out this time.I

20. If you take a number and double it and double it again and then    double it a few more times, the number gets bigger and bigger    and goes higher and higher and only arithmetic can tell you    what the number is when you decide to quit doubling.Arithmetic is where you have to multiply -- and you carry the    multiplication table in your head and hope you won't lose it.If you have two animal crackers, one good and one bad, and you    eat one and a striped zebra with streaks all over him eats the    other, how many animal crackers will you have if somebody    offers you five six seven and you say No nono and you say    Nay naynay and you say Nix nixnix?If you ask your mother for one fried egg for breakfast and she    gives you two fried eggs and you eat both of them, who is    better in arithmetic, you or your mother?