Day:
Time:
Location:
First Learning Outcome: Summarize barriers that may affect enrollment, retention and completion for students who are underprepared for college level math.
Second Learning Outcome: Distinguish the role of institutional processes, interdepartmental collaboration and personal relationships in supporting enrollment, retention and completion.
Third Learning Outcome: Collaboratively identify and adapt processes to support student success in math preparation and placement.
Core Competencies: Change Management, Collaborative Decision-Making and Consensus-Building
Proficiencies: Admissions: Evaluating Emerging Technologies, Records & Acad. Svcs.: Operations and Business Process Management
Intended Audience: Significant experience in the profession, General Audience
Cross-disciplinary Approach to Implement a New Math Preparation and Assessment Process
Category
Session
Description
Located in Cleveland, Ohio, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) has been working to improve outcomes for students who enter college with developmental needs in mathematics. Over the past five years, efforts to support students who place into developmental mathematics have evolved from transactional and documented procedures to intentional hands-on case-management supported by mandated processes with enhanced accountability. However, the intentional interaction and engagement with students must begin before classes start. Students need accurate math placement and appropriate course registration to successfully complete their math requirements. Research shows initial placement affects a student’s college-path and there is evidence that students with low math placements have lower academic success than students with higher math placements (Melguizo, Bos, Ngo, Mills, & Prather, 2016). Institutions are stressing the importance of proper placement, and leveraging technology and multiple assessment opportunities to support accurate placement (Zalaznick, 2016).
During fall 2017, Tri-C decided to implement a new placement assessment tool; ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning. A dean of academic affairs, dean of student affairs, and project manager of retention led a cross-functional, college-wide team of faculty, staff and administrators to develop a process to support students through accurate placement and course registration. Though case-management had been in use at Tri-C for many years, the college-wide team re-imagined the placement process in order to strengthen the case-management of students from the point of math placement. The implementation team identified and planned to work through the implications that the placement process changes would have on the enrollment steps and other college onboarding policies, such as mandatory placement prep and math registration requirements. Following the committee recommendations, the math preparation and placement process was reengineered using software, coaching, and lab support to promote student success. The presenters will discuss how Tri-C utilized cross-functional teams to support math placement with multiple touchpoints, and how that process can be adapted for use at any institution. Further, there will be a discussion on how to facilitate the development, supervision, and follow-through of cross-functional teams in a multi-campus environment.
References
Melguizo, T., Bos, J., Ngo, F., Mills, N., & Prather, G. (2016). Using a regression discontinuity design to estimate the impact of placement decisions in developmental math. Research in Higher Education, 57(2), 123–151.
Zalaznick, M. (2016). Solving the remediation riddle. University Business, 19(4), 31–33.
Submission ID:
7639
Presenter(s):
Ann Proudfit Cuyahoga Community College
Janet Spitzig Cuyahoga Community College
Dr. Dee Dee Pfister Cuyahoga Community College