Fall 2006
ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT
AQIP Action Project: Math Retention and Success
Describe the past year’s accomplishments and the current status of this Action Project.
The Math Retention and Success Project was identified and defined January 2006. A team
consisting of 21 members was recruited. The team has met twice monthly nearly every month
since February 2006. The team has:
 Clarified the project definition, scope, and work breakdown structure (WBS);
 Reviewed articles and research on other projects related to math success and retention;
 Reviewed Achieving the Dream research and data on student success and retention in
Math, English, and Reading;
 Reviewed Al Giambrone’s, Math Department Chair, sabbatical research and report
regarding math success and retention efforts at several other community colleges;
 Identified eight pilot projects, four from the Math Department and four from the
Developmental Math team; Projects focus on:
o MAT 101 (Elementary Algebra);
o A new three-course sequence, MAT 191, 192, and 193 to allow an alternative
with more time to cover the same math content as MAT 101 and MAT 102
(Intermediate Algebra);
o New instructional approaches including self-paced with computer aided learning,
learning communities, hands-on inquiry-based learning, and co-registration in
math and a math study skills class;
o Personal contact with students registering to ensure correct prerequisites and to
provide personal counseling.
 Chose the pilot study projects to be conducted fall term in Developmental and in Math;
 Developed and proposed a budget to support the project;
 Met with the Achieving the Dream data coaches to better align this project with the
Achieving the Dream project and to gain insights into better ways to develop our projects
and better ways to collect data for analysis. (The project will be closely aligned with the
Achieving the Dream Project.)
Describe how the institution involved people in work on this Action Project.
The team represents both academic and administrative areas across the college including faculty
from Developmental Mathematics, Mathematics, and Experienced Based Education as well as
their respective deans. The following administrative areas are represented: Institutional Planning
and Research (IPR), Student Services, Strategic Planning, and Budgeting. 48% of the team
members are faculty or Academic Advisors. 71% of the team members represent Instruction
while 29% represent other administrative offices. We have enlisted the assistance of Winnie
Tseng, Librarian, IPR to assist with data collection and analysis, and the Achieving the Dream
team to better align our projects.
AQIP Project: Math Retention and Success
Annual Report
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Describe your planned next steps for this Action Project.
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Present our final scope, budget, and WBS to the President’s Council for consideration
and approval.
Conduct one or more site visits to other colleges who have promising projects underway.
Refine the projects.
Develop materials for some projects.
Conduct faculty development and training.
Conduct the Fall term pilot projects.
Collect and analyze data and compare it with student success and retention baseline data.
Plan pilot study projects for Winter 2007 and Spring 2007.
Conduct pilot projects Winter 2007 and Spring 2007 as well as collect and analyze the
data.
Describe any “effective practice(s)” that resulted from your work on this Action Project.
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The divide-and-conquer research and reporting activity has made the work more efficient
and has generated much good discussion as well as generated some new strategies or
slight changes to current strategies that may be worthy of pilot testing.
Bringing more faculty members on board has strengthened the team and improved the
work.
What challenges, if any, are you still facing in regards to this Action Project?
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Mathematics success and retention is a national problem that has challenged colleges for
a long time. Our Developmental and Mathematics Departments have tried many
different approaches and strategies over the past 10 to 15 years. Finding new strategies
or variations on old strategies that will produce improvement will be a challenge.
The team leader will be retiring in December; new leadership will need to be identified
before long to promote a smooth transition to maintain momentum.
Getting adequate registrations in pilot sections has been a challenge.
Getting computer labs for our self-paced, computer-aided DEV 108 sections has been a
challenge.
If you would like to discuss the possibility of AQIP providing you help to stimulate
progress on this Action Project, explain your need(s) here and tell us who to contact and
when.
It may be helpful to have contacts at other Math success action projects underway in other areas
of the country. Contact Charlotte Wharton (Charlotte.wharton@sinclair.edu).
Who should be able to see this annual update?
Anyone
AQIP Project: Math Retention and Success
Annual Report
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