The low academic learning outcomes and persistence rates among students starting in developmental mathematics at community colleges are concerning. Improving the teaching and learning of developmental mathematics is imperative. This Action Research study aimed to investigate and improve developmental mathematics students' low retention rate and…

As community colleges emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic there may be a tendency to rely on technology to facilitate more online coursework. Online education has been a fixture of higher education since the mid-1990s, but there's always been a question as to whether it is effective as traditional, face-to-face coursework. This is especially…

This study's purpose was to determine whether the use of course-embedded learning assistants compared to sections that did not use course-embedded learning assistants in intermediate algebra courses impacted student performance at a community college. The sample was composed of 5,738 students who were enrolled in an intermediate algebra course…

Community colleges experience difficulties in effectively placing students in the first college-level, gateway mathematics course. The use of one standardized exam, such as the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) has been proven ineffective. The effectiveness of using multiple measures is not known. This quantitative predictive…

In the United States, students often graduate from high school unprepared to succeed in college. In Alabama, fewer than 25% of high school graduates are college ready. Frequently, unprepared students enroll in community colleges, which are tasked to help them transfer to a four-year institution or to enter the workforce. However, students who need…

This quantitative study examined the proportions of students enrolling in and completing transfer-level math pre- and post-Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705), as well as different predictors affecting the completion of transfer-level math within the first year. The study drew attention to the relationship between students' race/ethnicity and the…

This mixed-methods research study examines the Co-requisite model, an intervention in developmental mathematics, for its impact on student affect leading to success in math. This research hypothesized that students enrolled in the Co-requisite model experience positive changes in four affective variables: internal mathematical identity,…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto research study is to determine if there is a difference in students' pre-calculus knowledge and mathematical skills achievement based on pre-calculus instructional conditions and gender at a community college in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Three research questions were used to…

Community colleges provide a key point of access to higher education across the United States. These colleges are especially important for underprepared students, especially in mathematics. This is especially true of rural students, who often have lacked the access to educational resources. Research on growth mindset theory has provided promising…

This study was designed to explore the impact of professional development in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) of secondary mathematics teachers using The DuFour PLC model in one Southeast Texas School District. Descriptive statistics were compiled based on survey data from 19 participants. Internal consistency reliability was analyzed…

Students identified as unprepared for college work face considerable barriers to performance and college completion. To improve underprepared student outcomes, community colleges where most underprepared students enroll are using different models of developmental education. A recently implemented model in mathematics is a corequisite course…

The purpose of this applied research study was to strengthen Tier I instruction within seventh and eighth-grade mathematics classrooms. This applied research study uses three elements; professional learning communities, consistent content-specific professional development, and increased student achievement to strengthen Tier I instruction in…

This quantitative study investigated the academic outcomes of high school students from one community college district in Illinois who took a high school transitional math course designed to give them direct placement into a college-level math course. The goal of successful completion of a transitional math course is to allow students direct…

For decades, community colleges have relied on standardized placement tests to determine student readiness for college-level coursework. COVID-19 exposed the flaws of relying on a single measure to assess student readiness as many test sites shut down during the pandemic. Previous research has also pointed out the high rate of misplacement when…

Early alert systems are an intervention at community colleges that aim to identify and informally intervene with students who are struggling in their courses. This study examined the relationship between early alert systems and student success in developmental and gateway math courses. This study also examined if the impact of early alert…