First Semester Calculus
Blue Ribbon Mathematics Partnership
Committee Meeting
October 19, 2005
Dr. Robin Hensel
WVU College of Engineering & Mineral Resources
MATH PLACEMENT
• Course Placement based on:
– SAT-M or ACT-M score
– Math Department Placement (MPE) Exam
• Ready for Calculus:
– SAT-M > 600
– ACT-M > 26
– MPE Score > 20 (of 30)* beginning in Fall 2005
– MPE Score > 16 (of 30) prior to Fall 2005
Math Placement
SAT-M Score ACT-M Score Math Course
> 600
> 26
560 – 590
24 – 25
540 – 550
23
480 – 530
20 – 22
< 480
< 20
Calculus 1
Pre-Calculus
Algebra & Trig
5-day Algebra & Trig
Math Workshop
Freshman Data
College of Engineering
and Mineral Resources
West Virginia University
Engineering Majors
• Engineering
– SATM > 600 or ACTM > 26
– Ready for Calculus 1 (or above)
• General Engineering
– SATM: [480, 600) or ACTM: [20, 26)
– Must take prerequisite math, chemistry, and
physics courses
Cumulative Distribution Plot of
SAT Math Scores for AY 2000 – 2004
100%
AY 2000
AY 2001
AY 2002
AY 2003
AY 2004
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
Engineering
30%
General
Engineering
20%
10%
0%
480
500
520
540
560
580
600
620
640
660
SAT Math Score
680
700
720
740
760
780
800
Cumulative Distribution Plots of
ACT Math Scores for AY 2000 – 2004
100.0%
AY 2000
AY 2001
AY 2002
AY 2003
AY 2004
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
Engineering
30.0%
General
Engineering
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
ACT Math Score
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
MATH 155 Grades
Fall 2004 Calculus 1
SAT-M Scores
Under 600
38% (94)
600 & Above
62% (154)
Fall 2004 Calculus 1
ACT-M Scores
Under 26
26% (45)
26 & Over
74% (131)
Fall 2004 Calculus 1
33%
(139)
Not Ready
67%
(285)
Calculus
Ready
Fall 2004 CEMR Calculus 1 Grades
100%
W, 15.6%
90%
80%
F, 13.0%
70%
D, 10.8%
60%
50%
40%
GPA = 1.85
GPA = 1.85
C, 21.2%
30%
B, 25.5%
20%
10%
A, 13.9%
0%
61%
>C
Fall 2004 Calculus 1 Grade Distribution
of Students who took the ACT-M
Fall 2004 Calculus 1 Grade Distribution of Students who took the ACT-M
30%
26%
25%
25%
20%
17%
15%
15%
10%
10%
8%
5%
0%
A
B
C
D
F
W
Fall 2004 Calculus 1 Grade Distribution
of Students who took the SAT-M
Fall 2004 Calculus 1 Grade Distribtuion of Students who took the SATM
30%
25%
25%
20%
19%
17%
16%
15%
12%
12%
10%
5%
0%
A
B
C
D
F
W
ACT & Calculus 1 Grade Distribution
Fall 2004
Drop Page Fields Here
Grades & ACT Scores
Count of GRADE
12
ACTM
19
10
20
21
22
8
23
Frequency
24
25
6
26
27
28
29
4
30
31
32
2
33
34
0
A
B
C
D
Grade
GRADE
F
W
SAT & Calculus 1 Grade Distribution
Fall 2004
Drop Page Fields Here
SATM
SATM & Grade Distribution
Fall 2004
440
460
480
490
Count of SATM
500
9
510
520
8
530
540
7
550
560
Frequency
6
570
580
5
590
600
4
610
620
3
630
640
2
650
660
1
670
680
0
A
B
C
D
Grade
GRADE
F
W
690
700
710
720
730
750
Student Support
• Engineering Sections:
– 5-Day Math 155 (3 Lecture + 2 Recitation)
• Required Study Lab attendance
–
–
–
–
CEMR Study Labs (Sun – Thurs 7 – 9 PM)
MATH Learning Center (M – F 10 AM – 8 PM)
WVU Up All Night Learning Center (Thurs – Sat PM)
Resident Hall Learning Centers (Evenings)
• Academic Coaching for “at risk” students
• Parent email
5-Day Calculus 1
• 5 Days = 3 Lectures + 2 Recitations
– 80 students/lecture
– 40 students/recitation group
• Recitations
– 40 students
– 1 Math GTA
– 2 undergraduate engineering TAs
• Problem sets with “engineering” applications
• Exams not common with Non-Engineering sections
Experimental Course
• Mid-semester math “review” class for engineering
students who drop Calculus 1 (MATH 155)
because they are failing at midterm.
– Topics: Algebra, trigonometric functions, limits, and
derivatives
– Adds 1 credit hour to student schedule
– Began Fall 2004
– Tracking student success in subsequent MATH 155
course
Other Changes
• Require C or better in Calculus 1 as
prerequisite to enter:
– PHYS 111 [current]
– ENGR 102 [beginning spring 2006]
– Discipline major [current]
• Require C or better in all Calculus
prerequisite math courses before taking next
math course in sequence [beginning fall 2005]
Questions?
Thanks for listening!