A Closer Look at Teachers' Assessment of Math Preparation

Previous studies have indicated that students enrolled in the general math track do not take as much math and do not learn as much math as students in college-preparatory math courses ( Gamoran, 1987 ; Oakes, 1985 ; Porter, 1989 ). State, district, and school initiatives in California and New York have been developing mechanisms to address this problem of inequality by creating new transition math courses and eliminating the general math track. This study examines course-taking patterns of students in seven high schools in California and New York that have attempted to enroll lower level math students in more meaningful initial math courses. By examining students’ transcripts, the success of various policy options to upgrade the math curriculum are evaluated. Our data indicate that the new transition math courses meet with partial success in providing a common curriculum to students with diverse math preparation.

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Developing an Intensive Math Preparation Program to Enhance the Success of Underrepresented Students in Engineering

10.18260/p.23830 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Denise Hum ◽

Anna Camacho

Keyword(s):

Underrepresented Students ◽

Preparation Program ◽

Math Preparation

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Math Preparation of Undergraduates in General Chemistry, a Gatekeeper Course Required for Biophysicists

Biophysical Journal ◽

10.1016/j.bpj.2011.11.1149 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 102 (3) ◽

pp. 210a

Author(s):

Cynthia A. Stanich ◽

Colleen F. Craig ◽

Sarah L. Keller

Keyword(s):

General Chemistry ◽

Gatekeeper Course ◽

Math Preparation

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JITAR Online Modules to Improve Math Preparation of Engineering Students: Preliminary Results

10.18260/p.24384 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hatice Ozturk ◽

Dianne Raubenheimer ◽

Alina Duca ◽

H. Joel Trussell

Keyword(s):

Engineering Students ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Math Preparation

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Mixed results from a multiple regression analysis of supplemental instruction courses in introductory physics

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0249086 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. e0249086

Author(s):

Eric Burkholder ◽

Shima Salehi ◽

Carl E. Wieman

Keyword(s):

Student Performance ◽

Physics Education ◽

Supplemental Instruction ◽

Biology Education ◽

Introductory Physics ◽

Physics Education Research ◽

Course Performance ◽

Improve Student Performance ◽

Math Preparation ◽

Positive Effect

Providing less prepared students with supplemental instruction (SI) in introductory STEM courses has long been used as a model in math, chemistry, and biology education to improve student performance, but this model has received little attention in physics education research. We analyzed the course performance of students enrolled in SI courses for introductory mechanics and electricity and magnetism (E&M) at Stanford University compared with those not enrolled in the SI courses over a two-year period. We calculated the benefit of the SI course using multiple linear regression to control for students’ level of high school physics and math preparation. We found that the SI course had a significant positive effect on student performance in E&M, but that an SI course with a nearly identical format had no effect on student performance in mechanics. We explored several different potential explanations for why this might be the case and were unable to find any that could explain this difference. This suggests that there are complexities in the design of SI courses that are not fully understood or captured by existing theories as to how they work.

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The Roots of STEM Achievement: An Analysis of Persistence and Attainment in STEM Majors

The American Economist ◽

10.1177/0569434517721770 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 79-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alan Green ◽

Danielle Sanderson

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Stem Education ◽

Gender Gap ◽

Small Colleges ◽

Engineering Technology ◽

Stem Majors ◽

High School Math ◽

Using Data ◽

Postsecondary Science ◽

Math Preparation

This article analyzes persistence and attainment in postsecondary science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) education using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study. Ability is shown to have a consistent impact on STEM performance. Self-efficacy has large estimated impacts, and there is evidence of strong bias against women. High school math preparation and attending small colleges increase the likelihood of noninterested students switching to STEM fields. Overall, there is little evidence that collegiate educational experiences affect persistence or attainment. The results indicate that policies to improve high school math preparation and address the gender gap would be most effective. JEL Classifications: I21, I28

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