There is inequality in education, which is extremely prevalent in foundational math classes.
We want to change that.
With support from the National Science Foundation’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program, this Track 1 project will study the major reform efforts designed to improve student success in gateway mathematics at a two-year HSI and develop inquiry-based and equity-driven interventions to support STEM achievement.
Gateway mathematics courses are the first transfer-level mathematics course taken by most students intending to pursue a STEM major. These courses traditionally have a high failure rate and are a common barrier for STEM-intending students from historically underserved communities. In addition, these courses are undergoing a shift as state law is impacting policies related to student placement.
With this project, a collaborative team from a two-year institution and a four-year institution will analyze trends in student success, develop classroom-based interventions and professional development for instructors of gateway mathematics courses, study the impacts of the interventions, and examine the sustainability of change efforts. This work will have an impact locally by transforming gateway mathematics courses enrolling up to 10,000 students across the life of the project.
