Best Practices or Emerging Practices in the Nation/UW Colleges
BEST PRACTICES
An excellent summary of reported national Best Practices can be found in MDRC’s Unlocking the Gate: What we know about improving Developmental Education
(2011). This document not only summarizes the reports of others, but attempts to identify those practices for which there is significant data available to consider
them as true Best Practices. In this reports initiatives aimed at improving the success of developmental students are clustered into four areas: avoidance of Dev
Ed; acceleration through Dev Ed to college-level; contextualization of basic skills; and support for Dev Ed students outside of the classroom. The report concludes
that the most promising strategies include contextualization of Dev Ed by linking it to training or college-level courses and programs that compress the time
frame that students spend in Developmental Education, such as mainstreaming or modularization, show the most promise. Another strategy the report deems
promising involves the early assessment of high school students followed by programming to help those students performing poorly to up-grade their skills; this
strategy is an example of the Avoidance of Dev Ed category mentioned above. The use of technology linked with acceleration and/or modularization was
reported to have some potential for improving student success as measured by course completion and progress into college-level courses; the efficacy of the use
of technology alone has yet to be demonstrated.
A more recent initiative that deserves mention here is the Mathway initiative launched by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in
partnership with the Dana Center. This initiative focuses on curricular transformation with the aim of shortening the length of time students spend in
Developmental Math. Innovative pedagogy and redesigned math pathways are the earmarks of Quantway and Statway, which take students through Dev Ed
math and college-level quantitative analysis or statistics, respectively, in a single year. A recent report from the Carnegie Foundation, providing analyses of
results to-date for both programs, suggests that this approach has great promise. 52% of students participating in Statway in 2012-2013 completed the collegelevel course in one year, vs. 5.9% of students in the same institutions who did not participate in Statway. 52% of students participating in Quantway completed
the college-level course in one year vs. 20.6% of non-Quantway students in the same institution. It should be noted that while Mathway could certainly be
considered a promising practice, it requires institutions to accept the premise that statistics and quantitative analysis are appropriate math endpoints for
college-students vs the endpoint of a calculus-based pathway.
National Practice
General
Examples
Specific
Examples
Trends
We need to find
national best
practices for
placement of dev.
Math students
UW Colleges
(campuses)
UW Manitowoc and
UW Washington Co.
Early College
High School:
integrates HS
with first two
years of college
(many funded
by the Gates
Students earn
more credits,
more likely to
persist,
decrease in
need for
remediation
Positive trends;
75% of 2007
students earn
some college
credit
Summer placement test
prep courses; active
communication between
math faculty and student
affairs at the beginning of
the year to identify misplaced students.
UW Marathon
Inclusion of faculty in
summer registration
UW Waukesha
Work with local high
schools to improve math
readiness selfassessment;
Also uses an improved
placement protocol to
allow multiple options for
students beginning in
MAT091.
(this data from G.
Nettesheim’s access
to success
preliminary data and
J. Miller’s program
report)
College Now
(Kingsborough
CC,NY): allows
students to take
dev ed courses
while still in HS,
normally take
placement test;
Practice
UW Manitowoc
Summer refresher
courses to allow students.
UW Marathon
Refresher course offered
to improve placement
into first math course.
UW Washington Co.
Summer refresher
courses prior to math
placement test.
Description
Stats
Foundation)
Early
Assessment
Program
(California) tests
juniors can take
concrete steps
as seniors to
improve score
Less likely to
need
developmental
math
(fairly rigorous
assessment)
On-campus
classes in
summer
Fast-track
(compressed
courses)
screening
process,
available to
higherassessing
students
self-paced
courses
through
modularization
Mountain
Empire CC: 2
levels Dev Ed
each in half a
semester
Univ of
Maryland take
accel dev ed
first 5 weeks
and then retake placement
MathMyWay
(Foothill)
Improvement in
study skills and
college math
and reading
readiness
(Texas)
(descriptive
statistics)
Passed and
persisted at
higher rates
Nearly all
moved on to
college level
UW Baraboo
Combined 090/091 in one
semester.
UW Barron
Combined 090/091 in one
semester (requiring
ALEKS)
Combined 091/105 in one
semester
Combined 090/091
course in one semester;
accelerated/blended 105
and 110 in any term
UW Fond du Lac
UW Fox Valley
20% higher pass
rate in collegelevel math
Increased
retention,
UW Manitowoc
Accelerated 091/10; Both
are 8 week courses
(courses are also offered
in summer in an
Goal is to
allow a
student to
complete
the firstyear
curriculum
in one year
regardless
of initial
course
placement
Mainstreaming
(with
supplemental
support)
Yearlong
Integrated
Reading and
Writing (SF
state)
Baltimore CC
accelerated
learning project
in English
(college-level
course with
extra hour)
English course
pass rates and
level of reading
comprehension
UW Marathon
UW Marinette
Completed
college-level
courses,
enrolled and
completed
additional
English
requirements
and attempted
college courses
at a higher rate
(controlled for
pre-existing
characteristics)
accelerated format) Note:
No MAT090 offered.
Combined 091/105
course in one semester
(uses ALEKS)
Accelerated course
formats in the summer
and Winterim terms;
Utilizing a Mastery based
mathematics software
(Hawkes Learning System)
in an Emporium model
with on-demand
personalized assistance
for MAT090, MAT091,
and MAT105
UW Marshfield
Accelerated course
formats in summer and
Winterim terms;
Combined 091/105 using
the Vertical Learning
model (UW Waukesha) in
a pilot in fall, 2013.
UW Richland
Combined 090/091 in one
semester
UW Rock
Combined 091/105 in one
semester;
Uses a mastery-based
computer software in an
emporium model with
on-demand personalized
instructor assistance
(Hawkes learning system);
in MAT090, MAT091,and
MAT105 (piloted MAT110
in Fall, 2013).
Assessed; not
rigorously (did
not redesign all
sections)
UW Sheboygan
Uses mastery-based
computer software with
on-demand personalized
assistance in an
emporium model
(Hawkes learning system);
all courses offer
opportunity to accelerate
through the math
pathway to the core
requirement (MAT110
piloted in this format in
fall, 2013); utilizes 3 week
LEA102 supplements for
slower students in order
to complete math course
from previous semester;
MANDATORY
ATTENDANCE IN ALL
HAWKES COURSES
UW Washington
Accelerated 091/105
courses (8 week courses);
summer courses offered
in an accelerated format;
Note: No MAT090
offered.
UW Waukesha
Combined 091/105 (will
be MAT103 in fall, 2014)
Assessed;
rigorously
according to
Best Practices;
very good initial
data; controlled
for student
motivation,
individual
differences
(redesigned all
dev. Courses);
MAT090 2013
success rates
increased by
10% in 2012
over campus
avg.; improved
by 15% in 2013
over campus
avg.; 091
improved
success rates
12% in 2012
and 2013 over
campus avg.;
transition rates;
course
performance in
next course.
Assessed; Not
sure if
in one semester using
vertical learning model
and ALEKS; Note: No
MAT090 offered.
Queensborough
CC links Dev Ed
math with
college-level
courses
Kingsborough
CC Dev Ed
English, collegelevel course and
student success
course
In general show
increased
persistence to
next year,
modest impacts
on
achievement.
Some
diminishment in
difference s
over time
Increase in
number of
credits earned
and progression
through dev
edMore likely
to pass CUNY
Eng assessment
by end of 2nd
rigorously
assessed; not
sure
representative
sampling used;
researcher
reporting very
good results to
date.
semester
qualifying them
for college-level
Contextualized
learning in
vocational
programs
(small
group) peerled
I-BEST
(Integrated
Basic Education
and Skills
Training;
Washington
State) Esl and
occupational
training
More likely to
advance to
credit-bearing
courses, persist,
earn credits and
improve basic
skills.
(statewide
data)
Breaking
Through similar
type program
linking training
to remediation
Some positive
outcomes like
increase in
college
readiness
No specific
examples
Little rigorous
evidence of any
(self-selection
bias)
Baraboo, Fox Valley,
Manitowoc, UW
Marathon, Rock
County, Waukesha
Professional tutors (Some
are faculty donating time;
some are Math
Specialists)
Most promising
of types of
tutoring, tutors
must be trained
Peer tutoring across
the college
These are students who
are selected based on
faculty recommendations
and/or enrollment into
advanced math classes
and who have a high
record of achievement in
math courses; training
provided by the
respective learning
centers; special training is
conducted for those
tutors who work with
dev. Students.
Lorain CC and
Owens CC;
mandatory
meetings twice
per semester
with advisors
(not only dev ed
students)
Mountain
Empire
Community
College
Beneficial for
dev ed students
chances in
success in
college-level
math and
transfer; no
impact on
course path
rates, credit
accumulation,
GPA (??)
Advising…
Early Alert only on
some campuses
Advising Dev.
Students
Majority of academic
advising accomplished by
student affairs staff;
approx. ½ of the
campuses also use math
instructional staff in
providing advising.
Most first year math
students advising
initiated by advisors;
referral to learning
centers mostly
accomplished by
instructional staff
Most advising of dev.
Students follow a typical
pattern including 1 -2
meetings per year and up
to 4 meetings per year is
not uncommon.
State of Florida
(SI leader
conducts
additional
session, knows
Increase in pass
rates,
persistence and
GPAs (data not
strong at this
point, numbers,
structure of
UW Baraboo
Supplemental Instruction
Specialized
1 credit
LEC100
linked to
sections of
MAT105
and
MAT110
what is
happening in
course)
studies)
Study done by
CCRC; positive
effects on
persistence,
degree earning
and transfers;
particularly for
Dev Ed students
UW Barron
Daily peer tutoring in the
learning center
UW Fond du Lac
LEC100 for students with
Math Anxiety
UW Fox Valley
Places supplemental
materials on the campus
website, including videos
and blackboard
collaborate entries;
designated
developmental tutoring
center
UW Manitowoc
LEC100 courses targeted
for developmental
students
UW Marinette
LEC100 targeted for
students with math
anxiety; targeted LEC100
for use of calculators
across the curriculum.
UW Richland
Targeted LEC100 for
students with math
anxiety
UW Sheboygan
Special Winterim course
for at-risk dev. Math
students for a intensive
review of basic arithmetic
UW Waukesha
Targeted LEC100 included
in a learning community
with dev. Math and dev.
english
(above data from G.
Nettesheim’s access
to success
preliminary data)
From earlier reports – most based on correlations with higher student outcomes
Placement assessments: mandatory assessment and placement; prep opps
Management/Admin: early enrollment in courses/req completion before entering college-level courses
Pedagogy and Curriculum: active learning; PBL; contextualized learning; study skills; learning communities; computer-assisted learning; mastery learning
Student Services: tutoring; advising
Faculty: Training related and behavioral
In-depth literature search using ERIC