ERIC EJ986273: Developmental Mathematics: Challenges, Promising Practices, and Recent Initiatives

2011·0.27 MB·English

by  ERIC

Developmental Mathematics: Challenges,
Promising Practices, and Recent
Initiatives
By Barbara S. Bonham and Hunter R. Boylan
abstract: Developmental education has in- cation on the highest failure and withdrawal
creasingly become part of the national debate rates for postsecondary courses. (p. 2)
in higher education. This is particularly true
Drawing on the research of Bailey, Jenkins, and
for developmental mathematics courses which,
Leinbach (2005), Epper and Baker (2009) state,
in general, have the highest rates of failure and
“The challenge of raising math skills is further
noncompletion of any developmental subject
compounded by the fact that students who test
area. This manuscript describes the current
into remedial math coursework are dispropor-
state of the art in developmental mathemat-
tionately minority and disproportionately first-
ics, discusses major initiatives designed to re-
generation, two characteristics of at-risk stu-
form and improve success rates, and identifies
dents” (p. 3).
research-based teaching practices associated
According to the most recent National Cen-
with improved student performance in devel-
ter for Education Statistics (NCES) study in
opmental mathematics courses.
Developmental mathematics this area entitled Remedial Education at Degree
Granting Postsecondary Institutions (Parsad &
as a barrier to educational There is considerable public debate about the
Lewis, 2003), approximately three-fourths of the
underpreparedness of students entering colleges
opportunity represents a colleges and universities in the U.S. that enrolled
today and the efficacy of responses to this under-
freshman offered at least one developmental
serious concern. preparedness. There are a large number of stu-
course. Of those that offered developmen-
dents who place into developmental courses, par-
tal mathematics, 60% offered between 2 and 4
ticularly mathematics, and are prevented from
courses, with an average of 2.5 courses. The aver-
achieving their educational goals because they
age for public two-year colleges was 3.4 courses.
never complete these courses. Developmental
This means that a student placing in the lowest
mathematics as a barrier to educational opportu-
level of developmental mathematics at a commu-
nity represents a serious concern for the students
nity college must take approximately 10 hours of
as well as higher education policy makers.
mathematics courses before even having an op-
Sierpinska, Bobos, and Knipping (2008)
portunity to attempt college-level mathematics.
discuss the sources of numerous frustrations
The same NCES study reports that mathemat-
expressed by students in a university-level pre-
ics was the developmental course most likely
requisite mathematics course. Examples include
offered by colleges and universities, with 72%
the irrelevance of course material, disinterest by
reporting offering at least one developmental
faculty teaching courses, a lack of support from
mathematics course (68% offered development
the college, and a lack of understanding from
writing courses and 56% offered developmental
their instructors.
reading courses). Seventy-two percent of the
Developmental mathematics programs, in-
developmental mathematics courses are offered
cluding courses and related support services,
in the traditional academic department rather
ostensibly exist on college campuses to help
than in a developmental education department.
students achieve their goals. Yet, in many cases,
These courses usually (73-78%) receive only in-
they have become road blocks to students’ suc-
stitutional, not degree credit. The courses may,
cess. Courses which were originally designed to
therefore, be used to qualify for financial aid but
Barbara S. Bonham promote student academic achievement now
do not usually count toward graduation.
Professor, Leadership & Educational Studies often serve as barriers to that achievement. In
In a special report on community colleges,
[email protected] a summary of data from the U.S. Department of
the NCES (Provasnik & Planty, 2008) reported
Education, Noel-Levitz (2006) reports,
that, for the 2006-2007 term, there were 1,045
Hunter R. Boylan
In all of higher education, including four- community colleges in the United States enroll-
Director, National Center for Developmental
year institutions, there is no harder course to ing 6.2 million students or 35% of all students
Education
pass than one in developmental mathemat- enrolled in postsecondary institutions. Nearly
ics. Basic Algebra, in fact, receives top billing 75% of students entering two-year colleges must
Appalachian State University
in a report from the U.S. Department of Edu- take one or more developmental mathematics
Boone, NC 28606
2 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
courses (Noel-Levitz, 2006). In Fall 2000, the courses (Bahr, 2008). Similar findings were re- use of technology as a supplement to classroom
proportion of entering freshmen who were en- ported in a statewide study conducted by ACT instruction, integration of classroom and lab in-
rolled in remedial courses was larger for math- involving students from both two-year and four- struction, offering students a variety of delivery
ematics (22%) than for writing (14%) or for read- year colleges (Schiel & Sawyer, 2002). Results formats, project-based instruction, proper stu-
ing (11%) (Parsad & Lewis, 2003). According to from this study indicated that developmental dent assessment and placement, integration of
Lutzer, Rodi, Kirkman, and Maxwell (2007), mathematics courses were effective for those counseling for students, and professional devel-
the results from the 2005 survey by the Confer- who completed them. Unfortunately only 21% of opment for faculty.
ence Board of Mathematical Sciences revealed the students in this study completed their devel- Other reports and studies have identified the
enrollment in precollege mathematics courses opmental mathematics coursework. successful application and use of varied teaching
accounted for 56% of total mathematics and sta- Fortunately, all of the attention focused on techniques as strategies to improve students’ suc-
tistics enrollment in two-year institutions. developmental mathematics programs at two- cess and retention in developmental mathemat-
For many students entering college these and four-year colleges has resulted in a major ics. Examples of these include: mastery learning
courses have become a frightening obstacle. For shift in the content, organization, and delivery (Boggs, Shore, & Shore, 2004; Rotman, 1982);
some students, it prolongs their time at colleges, of some of these programs. Stuart (2009) reports attention to affective factors (Hammerman &
requires them to take and retake these courses, that colleges are changing from simply provid- Goldberg, 2003; Taylor & Galligan, 2006); men-
and results in eventual failure or withdrawal. ing access to students who are underprepared toring programs (Sperling & Massachusetts
Furthermore, a significant number of college for college-level courses to a more rigorous Community College, 2009; Visher, Butcher, &
students never enroll in the developmental involvement, including study of and develop- Cerna, 2010 ); integration of math study skills
mathematics courses into which they place. ment of courses and services to meet the very and learning strategies (Acee, 2009; Nolting,
Based on data from the Achieving the Dream diverse demographic backgrounds of students. 1997); supplemental instruction (Blanc, DeBuhr,
sample, Bailey (2009) reported that about one- He notes, “more and more colleges and universi- & Martin, 1983; Martin & Arendale, 1994; Pea-
fifth of all students in that sample who needed ties are ditching the old stigma associated with cock, 2008; Phelps & Evans, 2006); active learn-
to take developmental mathematics courses did ing, including cooperative and collaborative
not enroll in a single one of these courses over a learning approaches (Barkley, Cross, & Major,
A significant number of
3-year period. 2005; Davidson & Kroll, 1991); contextual learn-
college students never ing (Crawford, 2001), problem solving and mod-
Completion of the Developmental
eling (AMATYC, 2006; Ashwin, 2003); integrat-
Math Sequence enroll in the developmental ed classroom activities, laboratory activities, and
mathematics courses into learning centers (Boylan, 2002; Perin, 2004).
Unfortunately not many of those who do enroll
complete the full sequence of recommended which they place. Delivery Models
developmental mathematics courses. In a state- In an overview of current practices Epper and
wide study including a sampling of two-year Baker (2009) identified a number of special
and four-year colleges, the completion rate for remedial education and reinventing their reme- projects being implemented in community col-
the full sequence of developmental courses was dial and retention programs” (Stuart, 2009, p. leges over the last 5 years. For example, Foothills
the lowest in mathematics at 21% (Schiel & Saw- 14). In the last decade, there has been an increase College in California has implemented a pro-
yer, 2002). In a much larger and more controlled in the application and use of research-based best gram titled Math My Way. This program focused
national study drawing on college transcript instructional practices in developmental math- on intensity of instruction (additional time on
data from the National Educational Longitu- ematics programs and in the use of innovative task and an emphasis on mastery) while utiliz-
dinal Study (NELS) Attewell, Lavin, Domina, approaches to teaching and learning. Early re- ing self-paced delivery and technology (ALEKS
and Levey (2006) report that only 30% of stu- sults are revealing significant improvements software), Supplemental Instruction, tutoring,
dents pass all of the developmental mathematics in students’ success. These are discussed in the and classes held on consecutive days. Results
courses in which they enroll. The NELS is based following sections which outline successful reveal a 20% higher success rate in college-level
on a 1988 representative cohort of 8th grad- teaching practices used in developmental math- math for program completers. Other projects
ers who went on to college and for whom data ematics, appropriate delivery models, efforts to described in the report by Epper and Baker
was tracked up to 2006 in this study. The math address affective factors, expanded professional are course redesign projects supported by The
sequence completion difference between these development, new partnerships, and promising National Center for Academic Transformation
studies may be influenced by two important fac- innovative initiatives. (NCAT). Jarmon (2009a) commented in a pre-
tors: (a) the exclusion of any students who return sentation that “Course redesign is a process of
Teaching Strategies
to college many years after leaving high school redesigning whole courses (rather than individ-
Successful programs utilize multiple teaching
from the longitudinal database and (b) the use of ual classes or sections) to achieve better learning
and learning strategies (Boylan, 2002; Epper &
a national representative sample compared with outcomes at a lower cost by taking advantage of
Baker, 2009, Massachusetts Community Colleg-
a smaller, statewide, nonrandom sample. capabilities of information technology.” Course
es Executive Office, 2006) to improve students’
Although developmental mathematics redesign can involve a whole course, as is the
success in developmental mathematics. A report
courses have proven to be an obstacle for many case at Cleveland State Technical College in
published by the OVAE (Office of Vocational
students, research reflects that students who Tennessee, or focus on competencies needed for
and Adult Education; Golfin, Jordan, Hull, &
passed their developmental mathematics course specific programs or courses, such as the pro-
Ruffin, 2005) focused on developmental math-
requirements were as successful in subsequent gram at Jackson State College in Tennessee. The
ematics instruction and provided recommen-
mathematic courses as those who were not re- former is referred to as the “emporium model”
dations for promising practices emerging from
quired to take developmental mathematics and the latter as the “linked workshop model”
their literature review. These included greater
VOLUME 34, ISSUE 3 • SPRING 2011 3
(Jarmon, 2009b). choose carefully what can be done most effec- Thomas, 1999; Rodriguez, 2002; Tobias, 1993).
There are a variety of redesign models that tively online; (d) develop a conceptual frame- These affective variables can become barriers
have recently emerged. These include supple- work to guide the process; (e) build institution- to students’ success and have a “negative and
mental, replacement, emporium, fully online, wide support; and (f) deliver a good orientation inhibitory impact on learning and performance
buffet, and linked workshops (Jarmon, 2009b). for students (Foreign Language Resource Cen- in mathematics” (De Corte, Verschaffel, & De-
Different approaches have been taken in the ter, 2009; Search, 2009). The Tennessee Board of paepe, 2008, p. 25).
redesign of the curriculum in developmental Regents has committed to a redesign initiative in This is a rich area of information for edu-
mathematics. According to Lucas and McCor- developmental mathematics and English. This cators designing developmental mathematics
mick (2007), some have accelerated it, some initiative involves 9 universities and 13 commu- courses and one that should definitely not be ig-
slowed it down, and some attempted to decrease nity colleges (NCAT, 2009). nored by anyone attempting to improve student
the number of topics. performance in developmental mathematics.
Affective Factors
Examples of courses recommended as targets Students, faculty, and support staff need to un-
The affective domain is frequently an untapped
for redesign are those with high withdrawal/ derstand the influence of affective factors on stu-
area in attempts to promote students’ achieve-
failure rates, those drawing from students with dents’ success and retention in developmental
ment and retention in developmental mathe-
inconsistent preparation, those having difficulty mathematics. They should be familiar with and
matics programs. Yet research dating back to the
getting qualified adjuncts, or those from which employ strategies to help alleviate mathematics
early 1980s has revealed the importance of its
students have difficulty in subsequent classes. anxiety, build self-confidence, and maximize
relationship to students’ success in mathematics
Course redesign is not specifically targeted to student learning in mathematics.
(Schoenfeld, 1983). In the last decade increased
developmental mathematics alone. For instance, Another important point is that collabora-
attention has been given to this relationship,
the redesign project using the Math Emporium tive efforts among students result in a higher
particularly by researchers in the area of edu-
model at Virginia Tech and the University of degree of accomplishment by all participants;
cational psychology as well as educators in the
Alabama are for higher levels of mathematics. students help each other and in doing so build a
Course redesign promotes the use of multiple supportive community. This raises their perfor-
teaching approaches rather than a single meth- mance level as well as their belief in their abil-
Course redesign is not
od. Many of these approaches are supported by ity to do well in mathematics (Barkley, Cross, &
research or have been identified as promising specifically targeted to Major, 2005; Davidson & Kroll, 1991). Galbraith
practices in developmental mathematics. These and Jones (2006) discuss the use of team learn-
developmental mathematics
research-based or promising practices include ing in which students act as teaching assistants.
mastery learning, active learning, individual- alone. The use of learning groups also contributes
ized assistance, modularization, or personalized to the development of trust and cooperation
assistance (such as Structured Learning As- among the students as well as with the instruc-
sistance, frequent feedback, or the use of labo- tor. DePree (1998) has found that small-group
field of mathematics education (Muis, 2004).
ratories rather than classrooms). In these ap- instruction significantly increases math confi-
The importance of the relationship between the
proaches technology is utilized where it is most dence for historically underrepresented groups
cognitive and affective factors influencing stu-
appropriate, on homework, quizzes, and exams, such as female, Hispanic-American, and Native-
dents’ success in developmental mathematics
for example. Tutorials are delivered through American students.
cannot be ignored. Bandura’s (1997 ) work in the
computer-based instruction supplemented by Writing—such as journal, error analysis, and
area of social cognitive theory maintains that
small-group instruction and test reviews. This student-developed word problems—can also
it is the students’ beliefs about the value of the
approach fosters greater student engagement enhance learning in mathematics; it can im-
learning experience, their expectations of suc-
with the material as well as with each other. prove students’ understanding of mathematics
cess, and their enjoyment of it that will motivate
One of the major advantages of the project is as well as their attitudes and beliefs about math-
them to engage material actively and persist in
that it encourages the use of multiple approaches ematics. Research reveals that it is an effective
spite of initial failures.
to teaching developmental mathematics. Stu- strategy for minority students and for students
Research supports the relationship between
dents actually learn math by doing math rather with learning disabilities (Loud, 1999; Pugalee,
attitude toward mathematics and achievement
than spending time listening to someone talk 1997). However, as Meier and Rishel (1998) point
in mathematics (De Corte, Verschaffel, & De-
about doing math. The major disadvantage can out, these student writing assignments must be
paepe, 2008; Ma & Xu, 2004, Muis, 2004). Ma
be an overreliance on the technology to deliver carefully designed in order to successfully fos-
and Xu (2004) found a reciprocal relationship
all instruction with little or no intervention, even ter student learning and engagement. Without
between every attitudinal measure used in this
when students are experiencing difficulty. In a a connection to the class material, a writing as-
study and mathematics achievement. This is a
discussion of lessons learned regarding course signment will be less engaging to students and
significant study contributing valuable infor-
redesign one caution noted was, “don’t necessar- unlikely to increase student understanding or
mation regarding the relationship between stu-
ily redesign around technology....always consid- attitude towards mathematics.
dents’ attitudes and achievement.
er students’ needs and skills when choosing the An effective way to reduce math anxiety is
In addition to the relationship between at-
online tools” (Foreign Language Resource Cen- to create a safe learning environment in which
titude toward mathematics and students’ suc-
ter, 2009, p. 1). Additional recommendations re- students feel comfortable expressing themselves
cess, research findings also reveal the impact of
garding course redesign from colleges involved without fear or ridicule. Use of the following
other affective factors including low self-efficacy
in the process include the following: (a) establish strategies can foster a safe environment and cre-
and confidence in ability to do mathematics,
clear goals, learning outcomes, and assessment ate a sense of belongingness: discuss classroom
test anxiety, and math anxiety (Bates, 2007;
methods; (b) insure that the project is faculty
Bonham, 2008; Hall & Ponton, 2005; Higbee &
driven with strong administrative support; (c) continued on page 6
4 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
continued from page 4 and intensive series of professional develop- emphasized desired modes of student think-
ment activities are much more effective than ing and guidelines for selecting content and
etiquette, use icebreakers or group warm-up “one shot” professional development workshops instructional strategies. The purposes of the
activities, teach relaxation techniques, and use (Boylan, 2002). second standards document, Beyond Cross-
affective assessment instruments to help stu- roads, was to renew and extend the goals,
Partnerships
dents understand their attitudes toward learn- principles, and standards set forth in Cross-
Improving the percentage of students who are
ing (Bonham, 2008; Levine-Brown, Bonham, roads and to continue the call for implemen-
prepared for college-level mathematics involves
Saxon, & Boylan, 2008; Saxon, Levine-Brown, & tation . . . with an additional set of standards
a complex set of issues related to learning, as-
Boylan, 2008). which focus on student learning and the
sessment, curriculum, teaching, and profes-
Based on the findings of Peskoff (2000) and learning environment, assessment of student
sionalism. Mathematics educators at all levels
Nolting (2002), a list of strategies for coping learning, curriculum and program devel-
(PK-16 including Adult Basic Skills) need to
with and helping to alleviate mathematics anxi- opment, instruction, and professionalism.
build public understanding and support for the
ety are listed in Beyond Crossroads (AMATYC, (AMATYC, 2006, p.1)
changes in mathematics education. Building
2006). Information for actions to be taken by
partnerships with Adult Basic Education pro- Recent activities supported by AMATYC in-
faculty and departments are also delineated.
grams, ESOL, high schools, other colleges, busi- clude The Syllabus Project, which provides on-
These include recommendations for workshops
ness and industry, as well as with the local com- line posting and sharing of course syllabi for
on study skills, math anxiety, and multiple as-
munity agencies is recommended by the major different levels of developmental math courses.
sessment use.
associations in the field of mathematics as well Also available are links to organizations and re-
Professional Development as by many national projects (ACHIEVE, 2004; sources.
“As mathematics teaching changes across the Adelman, 2006; AMATYC, 2006; Boylan, 2002) Some of the most current activities include
world, faculty teaching developmental math- These collaborative efforts can promote the the AMATYC’s partnership with Monterrey In-
ematics courses must rethink both what should stitute for Technology and Education (MITE).
be taught and how it should be taught” (Math- MITE, with a 5 million dollar grant from Bill
Redesigning the curriculum
ematical Association of America, 2010, p. 1). The and Melinda Gates, which will combine the
implications of that statement affect recruitment content is necessary four courses required in most remedial math
and hiring, professional development, and cur- sequences. Using preassessments and multiple
but not sufficient to
riculum review and revision in the area of devel- learning approaches, MITE hopes to create
opmental mathematics. Many educators teach- stem the crises of failure coursework that can be customized to each in-
ing developmental mathematics are highly qual- dividual student’s needs.
and noncompletion in
ified in the discipline of mathematics. However, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advance-
they may have limited coursework or formal developmental mathematics. ment of Teaching has undertaken a project to
training in developmental education, college make “mathematics a gateway not a gatekeeper
teaching, student learning, or the application course” (Bryk & Triesman, 2010). The authors
of varied teaching strategies. Those who have note that redesigning the curriculum content
alignment of exit and entrance requirements.
been teaching developmental mathematics can is necessary but not sufficient to stem the crises
Such efforts can also create partnerships with
attest to the fact that it differs substantially from of failure and noncompletion in developmental
faculty in other disciplines to integrate mathe-
teaching more advanced college-level math mathematics. They also argue that there needs
matics across the curriculum and with business
courses. New faculty may question why these to be an integrated academic support system as
and industry to ensure that necessary employee
students are in college or why these courses well. “We need to strengthen the connections of
skills and strategies are included in mathematics
are being taught at the college level. According students to successful peers, to their institutions,
courses and programs.
to the AMATYC standard on professionalism and to pathways to occupations and education”
(2006), developmental mathematics educators Special Projects Focused on (Bryk & Triesman, 2010, p. 20). Carnegie’s de-
need specialized preparation in the following Developmental Mathematics velopment of a statistics pathway de-emphasizes
areas: developmental mathematics, technical There have been a number of recent improve- algebra and focuses on real-life, workforce ori-
mathematics, teaching preparation, intensive ment projects sponsored by major associations ented, mathematics tasks. This model may help
math background, and statistics knowledge. in mathematics and national organizations. solve the problems for a large number of com-
These guidelines are recommended for use in These have provided information to guide the munity college students needing developmental
recruitment, hiring, orientation, and mentoring design and development of effective learning mathematics courses. This pathway is designed
diverse mathematics faculty. environments for developmental mathematics. to fulfill math requirements for many occupa-
According to Boylan (2002), training and The American Mathematical Association of tions and to help students become more aca-
professional development is a priority in the Two-Year Colleges has been very focused re- demically successful. The project team has al-
most successful developmental programs. Fac- cently on developmental mathematics projects. ready met with community college leaders and
ulty and staff working with developmental stu- In past years their two publications, Crossroads members of mathematics and national educa-
dents are supported and encouraged to attend in Mathematics and Beyond Crossroads in Math- tion groups. They are working in collaboration
conferences, training institutes, and graduate ematics, have contributed significantly to estab- with Achieving the Dream and the California
courses. Those who participate in such activities lishing mathematics standards and guidelines Community College System’s Basic Skills Initia-
are encouraged to share what they have learned for the first 2 years of college. The first docu- tive (Boroch et al., 2007). The groundwork for
with their colleagues in formal and informal set- ment, Crossroads in Mathematics, published in
tings. It is important to realize that a sustained 1995,
continued on page 8
6 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
continued from page 6 students who are supported. Instructional Sci- success in pre-college mathematics. Keynote
ence, 31, 159-173. address delivered at the Quantitative Literacy
this project began in the Summer of 2010 when Attewell, P., Lavin, D., Domina, T., & Levey, T. Conference, Emory & Henry College, Emory,
community college teams met with designers, (2006). New evidence on college remediation. VA.
researchers, and practitioners to begin the de- Journal of Higher Education, 77(5), 886–924. Boroch, D., Fillpot, J., Hope, L., Johnstone, R.,
sign and development of resources and assess- Bahr, P. (2008). Does mathematics remediation Mery, P., Serban, A.,… Gabriner, R. S. (2007).
ments for the pathway. work?: A comparative analysis of academic at- Basic skills as a foundation for student success
tainment among community college students. in California community colleges. Part 1: Re-
Conclusion
Research in Higher Education, 49(5), 420-450. view of literature and effective practices. Sacra-
It is unfortunate that developmental courses, doi:10.1007/s11162-008-9089-4 mento, CA: Research and Planning Group of
once envisioned as a gateway to educational op- Bailey, T. (2009, Spring). Challenges and oppor- the California Community Colleges, Center
portunity, have become barriers to that oppor- tunity: Rethinking the role and function of for Student Success.
tunity for many students. Although those who developmental education in community col- Boylan, H.R. (2002). What works: Research-based
pass developmental courses tend to do well in leges. In New Directions in Community Colleg- best practices in developmental education.
college, an unacceptable number fail to com- es, 145. Policies and practices to improve student Boone, NC: Continuous Quality Improve-
plete these courses. This is most true in develop- preparation and success (pp. 11-30). Wilming- ment Network/National Center for Develop-
mental mathematics. ton, DE: Wiley Periodicals, Inc. mental Education.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of research Bailey, T., Jenkins, D., & Leinbach, T. (2005, Janu- Bryk, A., & Treisman, U. (2010, April 18). Make
to identify promising practices that may im- ary). Community college low-income and mi- math a gateway, not a gatekeeper. Chronicle of
prove the quality of developmental mathematics nority student completion study: Descriptive Higher Education, 56(32), B19-B20. Retrieved
instruction. There are also a number of projects statistics from the 1992 high school cohort. New from Academic Search Complete database.
being undertaken to redesign the content and Crawford, M. (2001). Teaching contextually: Re-
improve the delivery of developmental mathe- search, rationale, and techniques for improving
matics courses. For these efforts to be successful It is a process that must be student motivation and achievement in math-
it will be necessary for professional associations, ematics and science. Waco, TX: CCI Publish-
undertaken if educational
foundations, policy makers, and developmen- ing Inc. Retrieved from http://www.cord.org/
tal mathematics instructors to collaborate in opportunity is to remain a uploadedfiles/Teaching%20Contextually%20
changing the way developmental mathematics %28Crawford%29.pdf
reality in U.S. postsecondary
courses are structured, taught, and delivered. Davidson, N., & Kroll, D. (1991). An overview of
This will be neither an easy nor a short-term education. research on cooperative learning related to
process. However, it is a process that must be mathematics. Journal for Research in Math-
undertaken if educational opportunity is to re- ematics Education, 22, 362-365.
main a reality in U.S. postsecondary education. De Corte, E., Verschaffel, L., & Depaepe, F. (2008).
We can no longer deny our weakest and poor- York, NY: Community College Research Cen- Unraveling the relationship between students’
est citizens the opportunity to obtain a college ter, Columbia University. mathematics-related beliefs and the classroom
credential simply because we are unable to teach Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of culture. European Psychologist, 13(1), 24-36.
them how to factor polynomials. self-control. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and doi:10.1027/1016-9040.13.1.24
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NADE News: Member Participation
By Jane A. Neuburger, NADE President
NADE is excited about the current national and foundation interest sions with researchers, administrators, high school colleagues, workforce
in developmental education. We emphasize the responsibility this places boards, state boards of education. Find a mosaic of opportunities to assist
on all of us to stay informed, to continue reading, to stay connected with our students. And please attend the National Association for Developmen-
each other, to investigate what augments student success and learning – tal Education’s 36th Annual Conference, themed Developmental Educa-
and what policies and procedures impede that success. The case has been tion: A Mosaic of Learning. It will be held in Orlando FL, February 22-25,
made, clearly and loudly; our entire nation’s future rests on increasing the 2012, at the Coronado Springs Resort (Disney property). Full registration
educational levels of its citizens. The Executive Board invites you to par- for the conference includes access to approximately 200 concurrent ses-
ticipate in that discussion and help mold that future. NADE Special Pro- sions and opportunities for professional growth and development. Pre-
fessional Interest Networks (SPINs) and Committees (i.e., Political Liaison conference institutes will include an 8-hour NADE Certification Training
Committee) provide an excellent forum for such participation. Institute and several 3-hour institutes on specialized topics.
Please find a way to participate in your chapter meetings and confer- For additional information about NADE, please visit the website at
ences. Visit with your Congress members. Engage in multiple discus- www.nade.net
NADE: Helping underprepared students prepare, prepared students advance, and advanced students excel!
National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) • 500 N Estrella Parkway Ste B2 PMB 412 • Goodyear, AZ 85338 • www.nade.net
10 JOURNAL of DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION