The document presents a review of a remedial math redesign project at Arkansas Tech University aimed at improving success rates in college algebra. The redesigned program replaced a two-step remediation process with an emporium model, resulting in increased remediation success from 59.8% to 69.7% and a higher subsequent success rate in college algebra from 51.9% to 77.1%. Overall, the implementation led to more effective learning experiences and better outcomes for students requiring math remediation.

1. Remedial Math Redesign:
Improving Success in College Algebra
Presented by:
Dr. David G. Underwood

2. Arkansas Legislative Mandate
Students scoring less than 19 on the
mathematics section of the ACT Examination
must be remediated in mathematics.

3. Arkansas Math Remediation Rate - Fall 2012 *
• 38.4% for all public colleges (two and four-year)
• 25.5% for the public, four-year institutions
• 38.3% for the public, four-year institutions **
*Reported by the Arkansas Department of Higher
Education (ADHE)
**Adjusted with “selective” schools (University of
Arkansas and Arkansas State University) removed

4. Context – Arkansas Tech University
First Generation College Students – More than 50%
Some Type Financial Aid – 95.4%
Pell Grant Eligible – 61%
Graduation Rate – 40.2%
Math Remediation Rate Fall 2012 - 40%

5. ATU’s Approach to Math Remediation
Two-step process
• MATH 0802 (Beginning Algebra) for students
scoring 16 or below on Math ACT
• MATH 0903 (Intermediate Algebra) for students
earning 17 or 18 on Math ACT
Very Traditional Approach
• Students attend a mathematics class
• Teachers provide lecture and homework
• Students take traditional exams throughout
semester

6. ATU Performance
• First-time, Full-time, Degree-Seeking -
Fall 07 Cohort through 2010
• Success = Earned C or Better
Course %
Successful
%
Unsuccessful Total
MATH0803 67.6 32.4 1272
MATH0903 58.6 41.4 997
MATH1113 68.8 31.2 2265

7. ATU Performance (Continued)
• Over two-thirds, 67.6%, of the poorest
students are successful in their mathematics
course (MATH 0803).
• Likewise, more than half of the next best
students are successful (58.6%)
• Students who scored high enough to enter
directly into MATH 1113, College Algebra,
have a 68.8% success rate.

8. Big Picture
• It is easy to focus on the courses as discrete
entities and overlook the larger picture of
what the student must accomplish to
ultimately be successful. In order to graduate
from college, the students who begin in MATH
0803 or MATH 0903 must ultimately complete
MATH 1113 with a grade of “C” or better.

9. Big Picture – Successful Completion
Keeping the goal in mind – completing MATH 1113
• Students who successfully completed MATH 0803 -
only 43.9% were successful in MATH 0903.
• Students who were successful in MATH 0903 after
competing MATH 0803 - only 23.2% were
successful in completing MATH 1113.
• Students who started in, and successfully
completed MATH 0903, a total of 74% were
successful.

10. Big Picture - Casualties
• Of 2,269 in the 2007-2010 Remedial Cohort -
only 668 (29.4%) successfully completed the
college algebra course required for an
opportunity to complete most college degree
programs.

11. Math Remediation Redesign Project
• During 2011, the Arkansas Department of
Higher Education (ADHE) received a grant
from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
under the auspices of Complete College
America (CCA).
• Goal: to assist institutions to redesign how
remedial courses are taught to improve
success rates and reduce time to degree.

12. Math Remediation Redesign Begins
• The associate vice president for academic affairs
was designated to lead the effort on campus.
• His first task after acceptance as one of the
volunteer institutions was to meet with faculty
members in the mathematics department who
have a history of teaching both remedial
mathematics and college algebra to discuss the
opportunity and seek volunteers to work on the
redesign.

13. Volunteers
Five full-time faculty members volunteered
• Kristi Spittler-Brown,
• Terre Taylor,
• Susan Jordan,
• Jessie Hogan, and
• Jamie King

14. Early Decisions
1. Because the goals were to improve success
as well as reduce time to degree completion,
the institution would no longer use a two-step
remediation process. To that end, MATH
0803 would be deleted from the course
listings and all students requiring
remediation would be enrolled in MATH
0903.

15. Early Decision (Continued)
2. The redesigned course would be developed
using the Emporium model (based on work
originally completed several years ago by
Virginia Tech) rather than the traditional
approach of lecture and testing. (See also,
The National Center for Academic
Transformation NCAT)

16. Emporium Model
• The decision to use the Emporium model was a
result of meeting with experts in that model
identified by our Complete College America
liaison and reviews of the literature regarding the
benefits of a course redesign
• The expert most frequently used was Dr. Loretta
Griffy from Austin Peay University and many of
the ideas implemented were a direct result of Dr.
Griffy’s experience in completing her own
redesign at Austin Peay.

17. Redesign Continues
• Two classrooms were converted from lecture
to computer based. Once identified, each
classroom was set up with 44 personal
computers.
• At the same time, the working group of faculty
was deciding the most appropriate
instructional platform to use and identifying
the key components of a modular approach to
teaching developmental math.

18. Software Selected
• Pearson’s MyMathLabPlus was selected as the
software platform
– could be adapted to the modular approach,
– provided testing capacity,
– allowed immediate feedback, and
– offered targeted homework problems (based on
the types of procedures with which the student
was experiencing difficulty)

19. Textbook Selection
• Faculty selected Pearson’s custom textbook
option to develop “Beginning & Intermediate
Algebra Guided Notebook”.
• The faculty chose this option to allow the
book to seamlessly follow the modules they
were developing.

20. Eight Modules Developed
1. Real Numbers and Algebraic Expressions
2. Linear Equations and Inequalities in One
Variable
3. Graphs and Systems of Linear Equations
4. Exponents and Polynomials
5. Factoring Polynomials
6. Radicals and Rational Exponents
7. Solving Non-Linear Equations
8. Functions

21. Requirements to Take Credit Courses
• Successfully completing the first 6 modules
would allow the student to enter MATH 1003
(College Mathematics), a credit course for
non-STEM majors.
• Successfully completing all 8 modules allows
the student to enter into MATH 1113 (College
Algebra).

22. Completion of Modules
• Completion of a module is a two-step process.
– Pass MyMathLabPlus Modular Test with 70% or
Better and
– Pass Faculty-Developed Module Tests also with
70% or Better
• In any class meeting, students attending will
be at working on various levels of the
modules.

23. “Working at Own Pace”
• Not same as “working at your own pace”.
Goals must be set to ensure the student
continues to make progress.
• Not all students will complete all modules in
one semester. This becomes a very interesting
grading issue and also directly relates to
financial aid.

24. Grading & Financial Aid Implications
• To avoid grading/financial aid issues include
Financial Aid and Registrar’s Personnel on
Team
• Needed New Grading System
– Successful Completion = Regular Grade
– Grade for Successful Progress (completion of at
least 3 modules during the semester)
• Financial Aid allows 2 semesters to complete
all modules

25. Implementation Date
• CCA Grant Called for Implementation Fall 2012
• AVPAA Strongly Recommended Summer 2011
1) the summer has fewer students enrolled in
remedial mathematics, and
2) when a new program is implemented it is rare for
it not to have unforeseen consequences,
problems, etc. It is better to identify problems
with smaller numbers of students involved.

26. Summer 2011 Results – Prior to Redesign
• During summer I and II of 2011, 45 students
were enrolled in remedial math.
• Of the 45 students, 33 students (73%)
disappeared.
• Meaning they did not complete the remedial
course and they did not enroll in a math course for
the fall semester.
• Only 15 (33%) students passed the course.

27. Summer 2012 Results – Post Redesign
• During Summer I and II of 2012, 41 students were
enrolled in the new emporium model math course.
• Of those 41 students, only 4 (10%) disappeared *
*all 4 students were making satisfactory progress when they
left
• A total of 37 (90%) passed the course or were making
satisfactory progress at the end of the semester
– A total of 22 (53.7%) passed the course to enter either
college algebra or college math.
– A total of 15 students made satisfactory progress and re-enrolled
in the course for the fall semester.

28. Fall 2011 & 2012 Results
• In fall 2011 - 590 students were in
remediation and 353 of those were successful
for a success rate of 59.8%.
• In fall 2012 - 588 students were in
remediation and 410 were successful for a
success rate of 69.7%

29. Spring Results: Before & After Redesign
• A total of 133 students who were successfully
remediated during the spring before the
redesign, subsequently enrolled in college
algebra. A total of 69 were successful for a rate
of 51.9%.
• A total of 83 students who were remediated in
spring after the redesign and subsequently
entered college algebra and 64 of those were
successful for a success rate of 77.1%

30. Conclusions
• The data we have collected demonstrate that
approximately 10% more students are
successfully remediated in the new method
versus the old (69.7% compared to 59.8% ).
• Those who are remediated under the new
method are much more likely to be successful in
college algebra (77.1% compared to 51.9%).
• The numbers are encouraging and we will
continue to monitor the results of the change.