ERIC EJ1035672: Developmental Mathematics: Challenges, Promising Practices, and Recent Initiatives

2012·0.38 MB·English

by  ERIC

Developmental Mathematics: Challenges,
Promising Practices, and Recent Initiatives
By Barbara S. Bonham and Hunter R. Boylan
abstract: Developmental education has increas- Drawing on the research of Bailey, Jenkins, and
ingly become part of the national debate in higher Leinbach (2005), Epper and Baker (2009) state,
education. This is particularly true for developmen- “The challenge of raising math skills is further
tal mathematics courses which, in general, have compounded by the fact that students who test into
the highest rates of failure and noncompletion of remedial math coursework are disproportionately
any developmental subject area. This manuscript minority and disproportionately first-generation,
describes the current state of the art in develop- two characteristics of at-risk students” (p. 3).
mental mathematics, discusses major initiatives According to the most recent National Center
designed to reform and improve success rates, for Education Statistics (NCES) study in this area
and identifies research-based teaching practices entitled Remedial Education at Degree Granting
associated with improved student performance Postsecondary Institutions (Parsad & Lewis, 2003),
in developmental mathematics courses. approximately three-fourths of the colleges and
Developmental mathematics universities in the U.S. that enrolled freshmen
There is considerable public debate about the offered at least one developmental course. Of
as a barrier to educational underpreparedness of students entering colleges those that offered developmental mathematics,
today and the efficacy of responses to this under- 60% offered between 2 and 4 courses, with an aver-
opportunity represents a
preparedness. There are a large number of students age of 2.5 courses. The average for public two-year
serious concern. who place into developmental courses, particularly colleges was 3.4 courses. This means that a student
mathematics, and are prevented from achieving placing in the lowest level of developmental math-
their educational goals because they never com- ematics at a community college must take approxi-
plete these courses. Developmental mathematics mately 10 hours of mathematics courses before
as a barrier to educational opportunity represents even having an opportunity to attempt college-level
a serious concern for the students as well as higher mathematics. The same NCES study reports that
education policy makers. mathematics was the developmental course most
Sierpinska, Bobos, and Knipping (2008) likely offered by colleges and universities, with
discuss the sources of numerous frustrations 72% reporting offering at least one developmen-
expressed by students in a university-level pre- tal mathematics course (68% offered development
requisite mathematics course. Examples include writing courses and 56% offered developmental
the irrelevance of course material, disinterest by reading courses). Seventy-two percent of the
faculty teaching courses, a lack of support from developmental mathematics courses are offered
the college, and a lack of understanding from their in the traditional academic department rather than
instructors. in a developmental education department. These
Developmental mathematics programs, courses usually (73-78%) receive only institutional,
including courses and related support services, not degree credit. The courses may, therefore, be
ostensibly exist on college campuses to help used to qualify for financial aid but do not usually
students achieve their goals. Yet, in many cases, count toward graduation.
they have become road blocks to students’ suc- In a special report on community colleges, the
cess. Courses which were originally designed to NCES (Provasnik & Planty, 2008) reported that,
promote student academic achievement now often for the 2006-2007 term, there were 1,045 com-
serve as barriers to that achievement. In a summary munity colleges in the United States enrolling 6.2
of data from the U.S. Department of Education, million students or 35% of all students enrolled in
Barbara s. Bonham
Noel-Levitz (2006) reports, postsecondary institutions. Nearly 75% of students
professor, leadership & educational studies
entering two-year colleges must take one or more
[email protected] In all of higher education, including four-
developmental mathematics courses (Noel-Levitz,
year institutions, there is no harder course to
2006). In Fall 2000, the proportion of entering
hunter r. Boylan pass than one in developmental mathematics.
freshmen who were enrolled in remedial courses
Director, national center for Developmental Basic Algebra, in fact, receives top billing
education in a report from the U.S. Department of was larger for mathematics (22%) than for writ-
appalachian state university Education on the highest failure and with- ing (14%) or for reading (11%) (Parsad & Lewis,
Boone, nc 28608 drawal rates for postsecondary courses. (p. 2) 2003). According to Lutzer, Rodi, Kirkman, and
14 Journal of DeVelopmental eDucatIon
Maxwell (2007), the results from the 2005 survey Fortunately, all of the attention focused on success and retention in developmental mathemat-
by the Conference Board of Mathematical Sciences developmental mathematics programs at two- and ics. Examples of these include: mastery learning
revealed enrollment in precollege mathematics four-year colleges has resulted in a major shift in (Boggs, Shore, & Shore, 2004; Rotman, 1982); atten-
courses accounted for 56% of total mathematics the content, organization, and delivery of some tion to affective factors (Hammerman & Goldberg,
and statistics enrollment in two-year institutions. of these programs. Stuart (2009) reports that col- 2003; Taylor & Galligan, 2006); mentoring pro-
For many students entering college these leges are changing from simply providing access to grams (Sperling & Massachusetts Community
courses have become a frightening obstacle. For students who are underprepared for college-level College, 2009; Visher, Butcher, & Cerna, 2010); inte-
some students, it prolongs their time at colleges, courses to a more rigorous involvement, including gration of math study skills and learning strategies
requires them to take and retake these courses, study of and development of courses and services (Acee, 2009; Nolting, 1997); supplemental instruc-
and results in eventual failure or withdrawal. to meet the very diverse demographic backgrounds tion (Blanc, DeBuhr, & Martin, 1983; Martin &
Furthermore, a significant number of college of students. He notes, “more and more colleges Arendale, 1994; Peacock, 2008; Phelps & Evans,
students never enroll in the developmental math- and universities are ditching the old stigma asso- 2006); active learning, including cooperative and
ematics courses into which they place. Based on ciated with remedial education and reinventing collaborative learning approaches (Barkley, Cross,
data from the Achieving the Dream sample, Bailey their remedial and retention programs” (Stuart, & Major, 2005; Davidson & Kroll, 1991); contextual
(2009) reported that about one-fifth of all students 2009, p. 14). In the last decade, there has been an learning (Crawford, 2001), problem solving, and
in that sample who needed to take developmental increase in the application and use of research- modeling (AMATYC, 2006; Ashwin, 2003); inte-
mathematics courses did not enroll in a single one based best instructional practices in developmental grated classroom activities, laboratory activities,
of these courses over a 3-year period. mathematics programs and in the use of innovative and learning centers (Boylan, 2002; Perin, 2004).
approaches to teaching and learning. Early results
Delivery Models
Completion of the are revealing significant improvements in stu-
Developmental Math Sequence dents’ success. These are discussed in the following In an overview of current practices Epper and
Baker (2009) identified a number of special projects
Unfortunately not many of those who do enroll being implemented in community colleges over
complete the full sequence of recommended A significant number of the last 5 years. For example, Foothills College in
developmental mathematics courses. In a state- California has implemented a program titled Math
wide study including a sampling of two-year and college students never My Way. This program focused on intensity of
four-year colleges, the completion rate for the full instruction (additional time on task and an empha-
enroll in the developmental
sequence of developmental courses was the lowest sis on mastery) while utilizing self-paced delivery
in mathematics at 21% (Schiel & Sawyer, 2002). mathematics courses into and technology (ALEKS software), Supplemental
In a much larger and more controlled national Instruction, tutoring, and classes held on consecu-
which they place.
study drawing on college transcript data from tive days. Results reveal a 20% higher success rate
the National Educational Longitudinal Study in college-level math for program completers.
(NELS) Attewell, Lavin, Domina, and Levey (2006) Other projects described in the report by Epper and
report that only 30% of students pass all of the sections which outline successful teaching prac- Baker are course redesign projects supported by
developmental mathematics courses in which they tices used in developmental mathematics, appro- The National Center for Academic Transformation
enroll. The NELS is based on a 1988 representative priate delivery models, efforts to address affective (NCAT). Jarmon (2009a) commented in a presenta-
cohort of 8th graders who went on to college and factors, expanded professional development, new tion that “Course redesign is a process of redesign-
for whom data was tracked up to 2006 in this study. partnerships, and promising innovative initiatives. ing whole courses (rather than individual classes
The math sequence completion difference between or sections) to achieve better learning outcomes
Teaching Strategies
these studies may be influenced by two important at a lower cost by taking advantage of capabilities
factors: (a) the exclusion of any students who return Successful programs utilize multiple teaching of information technology.” Course redesign can
to college many years after leaving high school and learning strategies (Boylan, 2002; Epper & involve a whole course, as is the case at Cleveland
from the longitudinal database and (b) the use of Baker, 2009; Massachusetts Community Colleges State Technical College in Tennessee, or focus
a national representative sample compared with a Executive Office, 2006) to improve students’ suc- on competencies needed for specific programs
smaller, statewide, nonrandom sample. cess in developmental mathematics. A report or courses, such as the program at Jackson State
Although developmental mathematics published by the OVAE (Office of Vocational and College in Tennessee. The former is referred to as
courses have proven to be an obstacle for many Adult Education; Golfin, Jordan, Hull, & Ruffin, the “emporium model” and the latter as the “linked
students, research reflects that students who passed 2005) focused on developmental mathematics workshop model” (Jarmon, 2009b).
their developmental mathematics course require- instruction and provided recommendations for There are a variety of redesign models that
ments were as successful in subsequent mathematic promising practices emerging from their literature have recently emerged. These include supplemen-
courses as those who were not required to take review. These included greater use of technology tal, replacement, emporium, fully online, buffet,
developmental mathematics courses (Bahr, 2008). as a supplement to classroom instruction, inte- and linked workshops (Jarmon, 2009b). Different
Similar findings were reported in a statewide study gration of classroom and lab instruction, offering approaches have been taken in the redesign of
conducted by ACT involving students from both students a variety of delivery formats, project-based the curriculum in developmental mathematics.
two-year and four-year colleges (Schiel & Sawyer, instruction, proper student assessment and place- According to Lucas and McCormick (2007), some
2002). Results from this study indicated that devel- ment, integration of counseling for students, and have accelerated it, some slowed it down, and some
opmental mathematics courses were effective for professional development for faculty. attempted to decrease the number of topics.
those who completed them. Unfortunately only Other reports and studies have identified the Examples of courses recommended as tar-
21% of the students in this study completed their successful application and use of varied teaching gets for redesign are those with high withdrawal/
developmental mathematics coursework. techniques as strategies to improve students’ failure rates, those drawing from students with
Volume 36, Issue 2 • WInter 2012 15
inconsistent preparation, those having difficulty has revealed the importance of its relationship to help each other and in doing so build a supportive
getting qualified adjuncts, or those from which students’ success in mathematics (Schoenfeld, community. This raises their performance level
students have difficulty in subsequent classes. 1983). In the last decade increased attention has as well as their belief in their ability to do well
Course redesign is not specifically targeted to devel- been given to this relationship, particularly by in mathematics (Barkley, Cross, & Major, 2005;
opmental mathematics alone. For instance, the researchers in the area of educational psychology Davidson & Kroll, 1991). Galbraith and Jones
redesign project using the Math Emporium model as well as educators in the field of mathematics (2006) discuss the use of team learning in which
at Virginia Tech and the University of Alabama are education (Muis, 2004). The importance of the students act as teaching assistants. The use of learn-
for higher levels of mathematics. Course redesign relationship between the cognitive and affective ing groups also contributes to the development of
promotes the use of multiple teaching approaches factors influencing students’ success in develop- trust and cooperation among the students as well
rather than a single method. Many of these mental mathematics cannot be ignored. Bandura’s as with the instructor. DePree (1998) has found
approaches are supported by research or have been (1997) work in the area of social cognitive theory that small-group instruction significantly increases
identified as promising practices in developmental maintains that it is the students’ beliefs about the math confidence for historically underrepresented
mathematics. These research-based or promising value of the learning experience, their expectations groups such as female, Hispanic-American, and
practices include mastery learning, active learning, of success, and their enjoyment of it that will moti- Native-American students.
individualized assistance, modularization, or per- vate them to engage material actively and persist Writing—such as journal, error analysis,
sonalized assistance (such as Structured Learning in spite of initial failures. and student-developed word problems—can also
Assistance, frequent feedback, or the use of labora- Research supports the relationship between enhance learning in mathematics; it can improve
tories rather than classrooms). In these approaches attitude toward mathematics and achievement in students’ understanding of mathematics as well
technology is utilized where it is most appropriate, mathematics (De Corte, Verschaffel, & Depaepe, as their attitudes and beliefs about mathematics.
on homework, quizzes, and exams, for example. 2008; Ma & Xu, 2004; Muis, 2004). Ma and Xu Research reveals that it is an effective strategy for
Tutorials are delivered through computer-based (2004) found a reciprocal relationship between minority students and for students with learning
instruction supplemented by small-group instruc- every attitudinal measure used in this study and disabilities (Loud, 1999; Pugalee, 1997). However,
tion and test reviews. This approach fosters greater as Meier and Rishel (1998) point out, these student
student engagement with the material as well as writing assignments must be carefully designed in
Course redesign is not
with each other. order to successfully foster student learning and
One of the major advantages of the project is specifically targeted to devel- engagement. Without a connection to the class
that it encourages the use of multiple approaches material, a writing assignment will be less engag-
to teaching developmental mathematics. Students op mental mathematics alone. ing to students and unlikely to increase student
actually learn math by doing math rather than understanding or attitude towards mathematics.
spending time listening to someone talk about An effective way to reduce math anxiety is
doing math. The major disadvantage can be an mathematics achievement. This is a significant to create a safe learning environment in which
overreliance on the technology to deliver all study contributing valuable information regarding students feel comfortable expressing themselves
instruction with little or no intervention, even the relationship between students’ attitudes and without fear or ridicule. Use of the following strate-
when students are experiencing difficulty. In a achievement. gies can foster a safe environment and create a sense
discussion of lessons learned regarding course In addition to the relationship between of belongingness: discuss classroom etiquette, use
redesign one caution noted was, “don’t necessar- attitude toward mathematics and students’ suc- icebreakers or group warm-up activities, teach
ily redesign around technology....always consider cess, research findings also reveal the impact of relaxation techniques, and use affective assess-
students’ needs and skills when choosing the online other affective factors including low self-efficacy ment instruments to help students understand
tools” (Foreign Language Resource Center, 2009, and confidence in ability to do mathematics, test their attitudes toward learning (Bonham, 2008;
p. 1). Additional recommendations regarding anxiety, and math anxiety (Bates, 2007; Bonham, Levine-Brown, Bonham, Saxon, & Boylan, 2008;
course redesign from colleges involved in the 2008; Hall & Ponton, 2005; Higbee & Thomas, Saxon, Levine-Brown, & Boylan, 2008).
process include the following: (a) establish clear 1999; Rodriguez, 2002; Tobias, 1993). These affec- Based on the findings of Peskoff (2000) and
goals, learning outcomes, and assessment methods; tive variables can become barriers to students’ suc- Nolting (2002), a list of strategies for coping with
(b) insure that the project is faculty driven with cess and have a “negative and inhibitory impact on and helping to alleviate mathematics anxiety are
strong administrative support; (c) choose care- learning and performance in mathematics” (De listed in Beyond Crossroads (AMATYC, 2006).
fully what can be done most effectively online; Corte, Verschaffel, & Depaepe, 2008, p. 25). Information for actions to be taken by faculty and
(d) develop a conceptual framework to guide the This is a rich area of information for educators departments are also delineated. These include
process; (e) build institution-wide support; and (f) designing developmental mathematics courses and recommendations for workshops on study skills,
deliver a good orientation for students (Foreign one that should definitely not be ignored by anyone math anxiety, and multiple assessment use.
Language Resource Center, 2009; Search, 2009). attempting to improve student performance in
Professional Development
The Tennessee Board of Regents has committed to developmental mathematics. Students, faculty, and
a redesign initiative in developmental mathematics support staff need to understand the influence of “As mathematics teaching changes across the
and English. This initiative involves 9 universities affective factors on students’ success and retention world, faculty teaching developmental mathemat-
and 13 community colleges (NCAT, 2009). in developmental mathematics. They should be ics courses must rethink both what should be
familiar with and employ strategies to help alleviate taught and how it should be taught” (Mathematical
Affective Factors
mathematics anxiety, build self-confidence, and Association of America, 2010, p. 1). The implica-
The affective domain is frequently an untapped maximize student learning in mathematics. tions of that statement affect recruitment and hir-
area in attempts to promote students’ achievement Another important point is that collaborative ing, professional development, and curriculum
and retention in developmental mathematics pro- efforts among students result in a higher degree review and revision in the area of developmental
grams. Yet research dating back to the early 1980s of accomplishment by all participants; students continued on page 18
16 Journal of DeVelopmental eDucatIon
continued from page 16 Special Projects Focused on but not sufficient to stem the crises of failure and
Developmental Mathematics noncompletion in developmental mathematics.
mathematics. Many educators teaching develop- They also argue that there needs to be an inte-
mental mathematics are highly qualified in the There have been a number of recent improve- grated academic support system as well. “We need
discipline of mathematics. However, they may ment projects sponsored by major associations in to strengthen the connections of students to suc-
have limited coursework or formal training in mathematics and national organizations. These cessful peers, to their institutions, and to pathways
developmental education, college teaching, stu- have provided information to guide the design and to occupations and education” (Bryk & Triesman,
dent learning, or the application of varied teach- development of effective learning environments 2010, p. 20). Carnegie’s development of a statistics
ing strategies. Those who have been teaching for developmental mathematics. pathway de-emphasizes algebra and focuses on
developmental mathematics can attest to the fact The American Mathematical Association real-life, workforce oriented, mathematics tasks.
that it differs substantially from teaching more of Two-Year Colleges has been very focused This model may help solve the problems for a large
advanced college-level math courses. New faculty recently on developmental mathematics projects. number of community college students needing
may question why these students are in college or In past years their two publications, Crossroads developmental mathematics courses. This pathway
why these courses are being taught at the college in Mathematics and Beyond Crossroads in is designed to fulfill math requirements for many
level. According to the AMATYC standard on pro- Mathematics, have contributed significantly to occupations and to help students become more aca-
fessionalism (2006), developmental mathematics establishing mathematics standards and guidelines demically successful. The project team has already
educators need specialized preparation in the fol- for the first 2 years of college. The first document, met with community college leaders and members
lowing areas: developmental mathematics, techni- Crossroads in Mathematics, published in 1995, of mathematics and national education groups.
cal mathematics, teaching preparation, intensive They are working in collaboration with Achieving
emphasized desired modes of student think-
math background, and statistics knowledge. These the Dream and the California Community College
ing and guidelines for selecting content and
guidelines are recommended for use in recruit- System’s Basic Skills Initiative (Boroch et al., 2007).
instructional strategies. The purposes of
ment, hiring, orientation, and mentoring diverse The groundwork for this project began in the
the second standards document, Beyond
mathematics faculty. Summer of 2010 when community college teams
According to Boylan (2002), training and met with designers, researchers, and practitioners
Redesigning the curriculum
professional development is a priority in the most to begin the design and development of resources
successful developmental programs. Faculty and content is necessary but not and assessments for the pathway.
staff working with developmental students are
Conclusion
supported and encouraged to attend conferences, sufficient to stem the crisis of
training institutes, and graduate courses. Those It is unfortunate that developmental courses, once
failure and noncomplietion.
who participate in such activities are encouraged to envisioned as a gateway to educational opportunity,
share what they have learned with their colleagues have become barriers to that opportunity for many
in formal and informal settings. It is important students. Although those who pass developmental
Crossroads, was to renew and extend the
to realize that a sustained and intensive series of courses tend to do well in college, an unacceptable
goals, principles, and standards set forth
professional development activities are much more number fail to complete these courses. This is most
in Crossroads and to continue the call for
effective than “one shot” professional development true in developmental mathematics.
implementation . . . with an additional set of
workshops (Boylan, 2002). Fortunately, there is a great deal of research to
standards which focus on student learning
identify promising practices that may improve the
and the learning environment, assessment of
Partnerships
quality of developmental mathematics instruction.
student learning, curriculum and program
Improving the percentage of students who are There are also a number of projects being under-
development, instruction, and professional-
prepared for college-level mathematics involves taken to redesign the content and improve the
ism. (AMATYC, 2006, p.1)
a complex set of issues related to learning, assess- delivery of developmental mathematics courses.
ment, curriculum, teaching, and professionalism. Recent activities supported by AMATYC include For these efforts to be successful it will be neces-
Mathematics educators at all levels (PK-16 including The Syllabus Project, which provides online posting sary for professional associations, foundations,
Adult Basic Skills) need to build public understand- and sharing of course syllabi for different levels of policy makers, and developmental mathematics
ing and support for the changes in mathematics developmental math courses. Also available are instructors to collaborate in changing the way
education. Building partnerships with Adult Basic links to organizations and resources. developmental mathematics courses are struc-
Education programs, ESOL, high schools, other Some of the most current activities include the tured, taught, and delivered. This will be neither
colleges, business and industry, as well as with the AMATYC’s partnership with Monterrey Institute an easy nor a short-term process. However, it is a
local community agencies is recommended by the for Technology and Education (MITE). MITE, with process that must be undertaken if educational
major associations in the field of mathematics as a 5 million dollar grant from Bill and Melinda opportunity is to remain a reality in U.S. post-
well as by many national projects (ACHIEVE, 2004; Gates, will combine the four courses required in secondary education. We can no longer deny our
Adelman, 2006; AMATYC, 2006; Boylan, 2002) most remedial math sequences. Using preassess- weakest and poorest citizens the opportunity to
These collaborative efforts can promote the align- ments and multiple learning approaches, MITE obtain a college credential simply because we are
ment of exit and entrace requirements. Such efforts hopes to create coursework that can be customized unable to teach them how to factor polynomials.
can also create partnerships with faculty in other to each individual student’s needs.
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Loud, B. J. (1999). Effects of journal writing on attitudes, Snow Cap, NC: Peppercorn Books. Retrieved from
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mathematics courses. Dissertation Abstracts Phelps, J., & Evans, R. (2006). Supplemental instruction
International: Section: A, 60(3), 0680. in developmental mathematics. Community College
Lucas, M.S., & McCormick, N.J. (2007). Redesigning Enterprise, 12(1), 21-37. Retrieved from Education
mathematics curriculum for underprepared college Research Complete database, http://findarticles. Michigan
students. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 7(2), 36-50. com/p/articles/mi_qa4057/is_200604/ai_n17171706/
DevelopMental
Retrieved from http://www.uncwil.edu/cte/et/articles/ pg_2/?tag=content;col1
Vol7_2/Volume0702.pdf#page=41 Provasnik, S., & Planty, M. (2008). Community colleges: eDucation
Lutzer, D., Rodi, S., Kirkman, E., & Maxwell, J. (2007). Special supplement to the condition of education 2008
consortiuM
Statistical abstract of undergraduate programs in the (NCES 2008-033). Washington, DC: National Center
mathematical sciences in the United States. Providence, for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences,
Introduces...
RI: American Mathematical Society. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://
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cbms2005 Pugalee, D. (April, 1997). Connecting writing to the
Ma, X., & Xu, J. (2004). Determining the causal ordering mathematics curriculum. Mathematics Teacher, 90, MDec conference
between attitude toward mathematics and achievement 308-310.
in mathematics. American Journal of Education, 110(3), Rodgriguez, L. (2002). Improving services to developmental April 3rd & 4th, 2014
256-280. Retrieved from Education Research Complete mathematics students by understanding the concept
Details will be available on the
database. of self-efficacy. Research in Developmental Education,
Martin, D., & Arendale, D. (1994). Supplemental Instruction: 17(2), 1-4. website Fall of 2013.
Increasing achievement and retention. New Directions Rotman, J. (1982). Developmental mathematics and the
in Teaching and Learning, 60(4), 1-91. Lansing Community College Math Lab. Retrieved from
Massachusetts Community College Executive Office ERIC database. (ED224542) conFerence upDate
(MACCEO). (2006). 100% math initiative: Building a Saxon, D. P., Levine-Brown, P., & Boylan, H. R. (2008).
foundation for student success in developmental math. Affective assessment for developmental students, part
The 28th Annual MDEC Conference
Boston, MA: Author. 1. Research in Developmental Education, 22(1), 1-4.
was held on March 21st and 22nd, 2013.
Mathematical Association of America. (2010). Teaching Schiel, J., & Sawyer, R. (2002). Using posttesting to show the
MDEC would like to thank
developmental mathematics. Retrieved from http:// effectiveness of developmental/remedial courses (ACT
all of the presenters for their fine work.
www.maa.org/t_and_l/developmental/dm.html Research Report No. 2000-3). Iowa City, IA: ACT,
Meier, J., & Rischel, T. (1998). Writing in the teaching and Inc. Retrieved from http://www.act.org/research/ If you have ideas for a conference theme,
learning of mathematics. Mathematical Association briefs/2002-3.html keynote speakers, or workshop
of America Notes, 48. New York, NY: Cambridge Schoenfeld, A.H. (1983). Beyond the purely cognitive: presenters for next year’s conference,
University Press. Belief systems, social cognition, and metacognitions please contact a board member
Muis, K.R. (2004). Personal epistemology and mathematics: as driving forces in intellectual performance. Cognitive prior to our mid-June planning retreat.
A critical review and synthesis of research. Review of Science, 7, 329–363.
Educational Research, 74, 317–377. Search, S. (2009, November). Case study: Tallahassee Com-
National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT). munity College. Presentation at the NCAT Getting
MDEC Board Members
(2009, October). Increasing student success in Started with Course Redesign conference, Chapel
developmental mathematics. Conference presented Hill, NC. Lois McGinley, President
in Nashville, TN. Retrieved from http://www.thencat. Sierpinska, A., Bobos, G., & Knipping, C. (2008). Sources [email protected]
org/RedesignAlliance/TBR%20Dev%20Math%20 of students’ frustration in pre-university level,
10_16%20Agenda.pdf prerequisite mathematics courses. Instructional Ann Voorheis, President Elect
Noel-Levitz, Inc. (2006). Student success in developmental Science, 36(4), 289-320. doi:10.1007/s11251-007-9033-6 [email protected]
math: Strategies to overcome barriers to retention. Sperling, C. (2009). The Massachusetts Community
Sheryl York, Secretary
Iowa City, IA: Noel-Levitz. Retrieved from https:// Colleges developmental education best policy and
[email protected]
www.noellevitz. com/NR/rdonlyres/B4148B72-C135- practice audit: Final Report. Retrieved from ERIC
4AD4-A04C-2F66821C872C/0/ENABLEMATH_ database. (ED506649) Annette Magyar, Tresurer
paper_0706indd.pdf Stuart, R. (2009). Reinventing remedial education. Diverse: [email protected]
Nolting, P. (1997). Develop study skills rather than avoiding Issues in Higher Education, 26(18), 14-17. Retrieved
Joe LaMontagne,
mathematics courses. Disability Compliance for Higher from Education Research Complete database.
Treasurer & Immediate President Emeritus
Education, 3(4). Taylor, J., & Galligan, L. (2006). Mathematics for maths
[email protected]
Nolting, P. (2002). Winning at Math. Brandenton, FL: anxious tertiary students: Integrating the cognitive
Academic Success Press, Inc. and affective domains using interactive multimedia. Cheryl Almeda, Membership
Parsad, B., & Lewis, L. (2003). Remedial education at Literacy & Numeracy Studies, 15(1), 23-43. Retrieved [email protected]
degree-granting postsecondary institutions in Fall, 2000 from Education Research Complete database.
(NCES 2004-010). Washington, DC: U.S. Department Tobias, S. (1993). Overcoming math anxiety. New York, Natalie Patchell, Membership
of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. NY: W. W. Norton & Company. [email protected]
Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004010.pdf Visher, M. Butcher, K. & Cerna, O. (2010, February).
Angela Smith, Newsletter Editor
Peacock, M. (2008). A program evaluation of supplemental Guiding developmental math students to campus
[email protected]
instruction for developmental mathematics at a community services: An impact evaluation of the Beacon Prrogram
college in Virginia. Dissertation Abstracts International at South Texas College. New York, NY: MDRC.
Section A, 69. Retrieved from PsycINFO database. Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/publiations/540/ visit MDec online

Perin, D. (2004). Remediation beyond developmental overview
education: The use of learning assistance centers to www.mdec.net
increase academic preparedness in community colleges.
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