getting ahead in first-year mathematics college courses benjamin flores director, model institution...
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Getting Ahead in First-Year Mathematics College Courses
Benjamin FloresDirector, Model Institution for Excellence
Helmut Knaust Chair, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Nancy MarcusAssistant Dean, College of Science
Dorothy Ward Director, Entering Students Program
February 23, 2004
Overview of PresentationOverview of Presentation
• UTEP’s Science and Engineering Program• CircLES at UTEP• Summer Orientation and Mathematics Placement• Modular Pre-Calculus• Institutionalization: Challenges and Opportunities
Fall 2002 EnrollmentFall 2002 Enrollment
17,232 students
2,521 in Engineering+ 1,164 in Science 3,685 or 21% of total
enrollment
Fall 2003 EnrollmentFall 2003 Enrollment
18,542 students
UTEP Student Population Profile (Fall 2001)UTEP Student Population Profile (Fall 2001)
24 years of age (undergraduate average)69% Hispanic (Mexican American)82% from El Paso County 98% commuter81% employed54% first generation university students
UTEP’s Model for STEM Student SuccessUTEP’s Model for STEM Student Success
TimeLine TimeLine
GoalsGoals
The goal of the CircLES program is to ...
• increase student retention
• improve their academic performance during the first year at UTEP
• add value to their college education
ORIENTATION
CLUSTERS
ADVISING
STUDENT LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT
StructureStructure
CircLES - One Week-Long OrientationCircLES - One Week-Long Orientation
CONNECTIONS TO UNIVERSITY
SERVICES
DEVELOPMENTAL MATH REVIEW AND PLACEMENT
STUDY SKILLS RESEARCH MODULES(Science or Engineering)
Math ReviewMath Review
• Duration: 3 days, 2 hours each day• Students solve math problems in small groups of 4
or 5 students• Math review is led by peer facilitators• The accompanying text focuses on short
explanations and practice problems• After the math review is complete, students retake
UTEP’s math placement exam
[Almost] all students place into one of six courses: 1. College Prep Math (El Paso Community College; since Fall 2003)2. Basic Mathematics (El Paso Community College; since Fall 2003)3. Introduction to Algebra (UTEP)4. Intermediate Algebra (UTEP)5. Precalculus (UTEP)6. Calculus I (UTEP)
Math ReviewMath Review
Placement Before and After Math Review Placement Before and After Math Review 2001-032001-03
2003 Math Review: Mathematics Course 2003 Math Review: Mathematics Course Taken by Students Initially Placing into Taken by Students Initially Placing into Intro to Algebra (n=16)Intro to Algebra (n=16)
2003 Math Review: Math Course Taken by 2003 Math Review: Math Course Taken by Students Initially Placing into Intermediate Students Initially Placing into Intermediate Algebra (n=152)Algebra (n=152)
2003 Math Review: Mathematics Course 2003 Math Review: Mathematics Course Taken by Students Initially Placing into Pre-Taken by Students Initially Placing into Pre-Calculus (n=144)Calculus (n=144)
Intermediate Algebra Passing Rate - Fall Intermediate Algebra Passing Rate - Fall 20032003
Pre-Calculus Passing Rate - Fall 2003Pre-Calculus Passing Rate - Fall 2003
Correction:On the graph on the right, the two regions “45%” and “39%” are switched by mistake: 39% of the students finished in one semester. 45% received an “In progress” grade.
PreCalculusFirst
Attempt
First-Time Enrollment in Semester
475
598 571655
0100200300400500600700
AY 1999-2000 AY 2000-2001 AY 2001-2002 *AY 2002-2003
Nu
mb
er
Percentage Passing on First Attempt
51.4%
71.9%68.1% 65.1%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
AY 1999-2000 AY 2000-2001 AY 2001-2002 *AY 2002-2003
Per
cen
tag
e
Calculus IFirst
Attempt
First-Time Enrollment in Semester
563584
639621
500
550
600
650
AY 1999-2000 AY 2000-2001 AY 2001-2002 *AY 2002-2003
Nu
mb
er
Percentage Passing on First Attempt
50.2%57.4% 51.5%
51.9%
0.0%20.0%40.0%
60.0%80.0%
100.0%
AY 1999-2000 AY 2000-2001 AY 2001-2002 *AY 2002-2003
Per
cen
tag
e
Fall Semester
Wintermester
Spring Semester
Maymester
Time 1
Part 1
Time 2
Part 2 Part 2 Part 3
Time 3 Time 4
Semester Grade = P (In-Progress)
Part 4 Grade = A, B, C, or P
If P:
Time 1
Part 4
Time 2
Part 1 ofCal I
Part 2 ofCal I
Part 3 ofCal I
Time 3 Time 4
Part 4 Grade = A, B, C, or P
MODULAR PRECALCULUS – SOCIAL SAFETY MODULAR PRECALCULUS – SOCIAL SAFETY NETNET
Students work in teams Instructor Pooled Office Hours Weekly Feedback Sessions Monthly Tracking of Students Semester Tracking of Students through Next Course Email Communication Web Site Communication Non-Punitive Environment Success Let’s Try it in Calculus
Institutionalization: Challenges and Institutionalization: Challenges and OpportunitiesOpportunities
Spring 2003: • The State of Texas drastically reduces UTEP’s budget for
the biennium 2004-05
Summer 2003: • New Mathematics placement exam (Accuplacer)• The State of Texas replaces TASP by the Success Initiative
Fall 2003: • The administration of the CircLES Program switches hands
from the Colleges of Engineering and Science to the University College
• Integration of the CircLES program into the university-wide Entering Students Program – Preservation of best practices
Institutionalization: Challenges and Institutionalization: Challenges and OpportunitiesOpportunities
Spring 2004: • First phase of a substantial tuition increase; the second
phase will become effective in the fall of 2004
Summer 2004: • Math review remains mandatory for entering science and
engineering students• Math Review becomes optional for the rest of the entering
student body
Fall 2004: • Begin of a pilot program to “modularize” Calculus I in
cooperation with Polytechnic University
ReferenceReference
Benjamin C. Flores, Jana Renner Martínez, Helmut Knaust, Ann Darnell, Lilly Romo, and Connie Kubo Della-Piana:“The Effectiveness of a Mathematics Review for Student Placement into College-Level Mathematics”.“Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition”, 2003.
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