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MESA/SSS STUDENT COURSE PERFORMANCE: SPRING 2013
Table 1) Course Retention, Success, & GPA: MESA/SSS Students
compared to Non-MESA/SSS Students
Course
Group
Students
Retention
Success
GPA
BIOL201
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
10
15
90%
93%
90%
93%
3.67
3.64
CHEM120
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
64
25
91%
96%
66%
80%
2.26
2.75
CHEM130
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
30
21
53%
95%
43%
76%
2.13
2.15
CHEM131
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
17
21
88%
100%
41%
57%
1.20
2.00
CHEM131L
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
12
18
92%
100%
83%
94%
2.82
3.00
CHEM231
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
*
10
*
100%
*
90%
*
3.10
MATH180
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
59
20
69%
100%
53%
70%
2.32
2.15
MATH190
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
56
17
84%
82%
55%
65%
2.06
2.21
MATH191
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
45
17
93%
100%
84%
94%
2.83
2.76
MATH250
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
22
18
82%
94%
59%
56%
2.17
1.94
MATH270
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
19
13
84%
100%
68%
85%
2.69
3.00
PHY211
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
*
21
*
95%
*
95%
*
2.85
PHY212
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
29
14
90%
93%
86%
86%
2.62
2.38
PHY213
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
*
16
*
100%
*
100%
*
3.06
Total
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
385
246
83%
96%
65%
80%
2.39
2.62
*Results are not reported because there are fewer than 10 students in this
category.
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Table 2) Retention, Success, & GPA by Subject: MESA/SSS Students
compared to Non-MESA/SSS Students
Subject
Group
Students
Retention
Success
GPA
BIOL
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
10
15
90%
93%
90%
93%
3.67
3.64
CHEM
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
132
95
83%
98%
61%
78%
2.23
2.53
MATH
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
201
85
82%
95%
63%
73%
2.40
2.38
PHY
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
42
51
88%
96%
81%
94%
2.51
2.80
Total
Not MESA/SSS
MESA/SSS
385
246
83%
96%
65%
80%
2.39
2.62
Background to Tables 3 to 5
The MESA Center regularly offers Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs) for key STEM courses. These
sessions are intended to assist students in learning course material, developing effective study habits,
and providing academic support for each other. Tables 3 through 5 address the relationship between
AEW attendance and course success. The hypothesis is that students who attend many AEWs should be
more successful than those who attend few AEWs, who should be more successful than those who
attend no AEWs. Because the numbers of students Above the Median or Below the Median for any
specific course was usually below 10, results in these tables are report at the subject level.
Table 3) Success Rates for Chemistry Courses by Level of
AEW Attendance
AEW Attendance
Success Rate
# of Students
None
54.8%
126
Below Median
80.0%
25
Above Median
77.8%
27
Total
61.8%
178
NOTE: Spring 2013 enrollments in CHEM 120, CHEM 130, and
CHEM 131. Below or Above Median refers to the median number
of AEWs attended for the individual course.
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Table 4) Success Rates for Mathematics Courses by Level of
AEW Attendance
AEW Attendance
Success Rate
# of Students
None
62.9%
280
Below Median
66.7%
42
Above Median
87.0%
46
Total
66.3%
368
NOTE: Spring 2013 enrollments in MATH 175, MATH 180, MATH
190, MATH 191, and MATH 270. Below or Above Median refers to
the median number of AEWs attended for the individual course.
Table 5) Success Rates for Physics Courses by Level of AEW
Attendance
AEW Attendance
Success Rate
# of Students
None
77.5%
40
Below Median
100.0%
15
Above Median
100.0%
15
Total
87.1%
70
NOTE: Spring 2013 enrollments in PHYS 211 and PHYS 212. Below
or Above Median refers to the median number of AEWs attended
for the individual course.
Background to Tables 6 to 7
The MESA Center has identified 17 courses as “STEM Major-Preparation Courses” (BIOL200, BIOL201,
CHEM120, CHEM130, CHEM131, CHEM131L, CHEM230, CHEM231, MATH180, MATH190, MATH191,
MATH250, MATH260, MATH270, PHY211, PHY212, and PHY213). A small proportion of students take
more than one of these courses in any semester. Tables 6 and 7 address the question of whether
students receiving MESA services pass more courses than non-MESA students when taking more than
one STEM major-prep courses in a single semester.
Table 6) Pass Rates for Students taking Two STEM
Major-Prep Courses: MESA/SSS Students compared to
Non-MESA/SSS Students
MESA/SSS
Non-MESA/SSS
Classes Passed
Count Percent Count Percent
Zero
2
4%
8
15%
11
One
3
6%
21%
44
33
Two
83%
63%
Total
53
100%
52
100%
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Table 7) Pass Rates for Students taking Three or More
STEM Major-Prep Courses: MESA/SSS Students
compared to Non-MESA/SSS Students
MESA/SSS
Non-MESA/SSS
Classes Passed
Count Percent Count Percent
Zero
1
4%
1
10%
3
Some (not All)
5
18%
30%
22
7
All
79%
70%
Total
28
100%
11
100%
NOTE: Students in this table took three to five STEM majorprep courses during the Spring 2013 semester.
Prepared by James Sass on July 15, 2013.
Data Sources:
Banner/Cognos (course enrollment and final grades)
MESA Center (MESA/SSS student roster and AEW attendance)