Creating an alternative developmental math pathway at Delaware Technical Community College

Abstract

Developmental mathematics pass rates at Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC) have remained the same or decreased for a number of years despite two different math curriculum redesigns. They hover around 50 percent or below at each campus, even after the implementation of a second redesign this past Fall 2016 semester. The first redesign switched from a face-to-face style of developmental math instruction to an Emporium model. After a lack of significant improvements in pass rates, the math courses were redesigned again. ☐ To further investigate the problem of low developmental math pass rates at DTCC, several strategies were employed. A literature review was conducted regarding developmental education, andragogy, high school tracking, alternative models of developmental course redesign, and the corequisite model of instruction. Furthermore, surveys of faculty and students at DTCC were conducted to determine the perception of developmental math education at DTCC, to determine perceived barriers from both faculty and students for low student pass rates, and to gauge the support for the implementation of a corequisite model of developmental math instruction. Some faculty did not believe a redesign was necessary, while others did. Students offered strong support for developmental math course redesign. Both faculty and students identified several common perceived barriers that they believe result in lower pass rates for students in these math classes. ☐ In addition, interviews were conducted at three different institutions that redesigned their developmental course curriculum. The purpose was to discover how the institutions targeted the courses for redesign, to find the rationale for choosing the corequisite model, and to identify recommendations they had for institutions who want to redesign their developmental math curriculum. Two redesign leaders at two four-year public colleges were interviewed along with a redesign leader from a community college in the area. The results of these interviews indicated that while redesigning the developmental math curriculum was difficult in all cases, the results of each corequisite implementation suggested improved pass rates that transcended several major demographics. I used the survey and interview results, coupled with the literature review and feedback from DTCC peers, to design samples of a corequisite math course with a syllabus, schedule of classroom activities, a Blackboard Learning Management system course, and a corequisite advisement sheet for students and academic counselors. Additionally, I outlined a strategic plan for implementing the corequisite model for developmental math courses at DTCC. ☐ Throughout the process of completing the artifacts for this ELP, feedback was solicited, obtained, and incorporated into each artifact from members of this ELP committee. The Dean of Instruction at the Stanton and Wilmington campuses, along with two math instructors, and two math chairs, also provided feedback on the proposed strategic plan. Their feedback enabled both a macro and micro approach to the investigation of the problem, helped craft a potential solution to solve it, and offered final recommendations for implementing a corequisite model of math redesign at DTCC. The final recommendation is that the corequisite model of developmental math instruction be piloted at DTCC beginning with the steps outlined in the ELP proposal and subsequent artifacts.