ERIC Number: ED674085
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2025-May
Pages: 48
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Disentangle the Curriculum and Structural Effects of Math Pathway Reforms: Evidence from Maryland Community College System. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1192
Florence Xiaotao Ran; Jesse Eze; Yuxin Lin
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
This study evaluates the impact of Maryland's Mathematics Reform Initiative (MMRI), which sought to improve student success in developmental and college-level math through comprehensive curriculum and structural reforms. Launched in 2015, the MMRI developed and implemented non-algebra math pathways tailored to students' chosen program of study. Using administrative data of Maryland community colleges from 2014 to 2019, we adopted a difference-in-differences approach to assess the effects of MMRI and how various reform components contributed to the overall outcomes. Our findings indicate that MMRI resulted in a 7-percentage-point increase in developmental math completion by the end of the first year. Although MMRI overall did not lead to a significant increase in gateway math completion rates, colleges that combined corequisite support and multiple measures placement with curriculum changes experienced a 4-percentage-point rise in first-year gateway math completion. We found no significant changes in STEM major selection, enrollment persistence, or transfer rates within two years of the reform. These results suggest that aligning math pathways with students' academic programs--while simultaneously addressing structural barriers--can support greater progression in college-level mathematics.
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Mathematics Instruction, Remedial Instruction, College Mathematics, Educational Change, Algebra, Educational Policy, Student Records, Outcomes of Education, Student Placement, STEM Education, Majors (Students), Mathematics Curriculum, Decision Making, Barriers, Curriculum Development, Mathematics Achievement, Community College Students
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A