As community colleges and systems move away from developmental education and encourage students to enroll in introductory, college-level coursework to complete their math and English requirements, it is critical to provide students with additional academic supports to help them succeed. One such model is the corequisite course, a model that offers…

The purpose of this dissertation is to study the consistency of the structures and the centrality of mathematics courses in the curricula of the universities in the Minnesota State University system. This research will be based on the curriculum prerequisite networks for the seven universities in the Minnesota State System. These networks will be…

AB 1705 requires colleges to validate their math placement policies and associated enrollment practices to ensure that students begin in coursework that gives them the best chance of completing the initial transfer-level math requirements for their academic goal. If students are required to enroll in prerequisite coursework prior to the…

We explored the impacts of a mathematics prerequisite on student success in Introductory Biology, focusing on students historically underserved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Specifically, we studied Introductory Biology student outcomes 5 years before and 6 years after adding the prerequisite. Students who had not…

To practice physical therapy, physical therapist assistants (PTAs) must graduate from an accredited program and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). There is a lack of evidence exploring the relationships between admission processes in PTA programs with no pre-requisites. The first purpose of this study was to determine whether…

This study examined one strategy for dev-ed math reform, the Dana Center Math Pathways (DCMP) model. The DCMP model encouraged students to enroll in a college-level math course best suited to their field of interest and, at the time of inquiry, used a compression approach, condensing sequences of two or more developmental courses into a shorter,…

The study aimed to investigate students' final grades in a linked course or chain course to determine any effect on students' academic performance in their next linked course. Courses with high D, F, and W grades were selected with their subsequent linked courses to form a chain so that each chain consisted of two courses or more. More…

In Fall 2020, the VCCS [Virginia Community College System] will begin implementing the Direct Enrollment Pilot, building upon lessons learned in prior reforms and successes of reforms in other states. In the new corequisite model of developmental education, students at the margins of college preparation are placed directly into the college…

For millions of students at American colleges, freshman year starts off with an unpleasant surprise: despite graduating high school, students find themselves assigned to remedial classes in math or English, which they must pay for and pass before being allowed into college-level courses. Policymakers looking to increase postsecondary enrollment…

To improve outcomes in math, many Texas colleges are adopting mathematics pathways, which accelerate developmental math and tailor math courses to different majors instead of requiring all students to take algebra. This study examines whether students participating in Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) developmental courses enroll in and pass…

Mathematics requirements are a significant barrier to completing a college credential for many college students. In an effort to change the tide, colleges across the country are working to implement mathematics pathways, which encourages all students to enroll in one of several college-level mathematics courses that best aligns with their chosen…

Since the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board launched their ambitious strategic plan entitled "60x30TX," higher education institutions must test and correctly place undergraduates in appropriate developmental or college-level courses based on undergraduates' academic ability. However, students who are required to take…

Informed by Gagne's belief in the necessity of prerequisite knowledge for new learning, and Bruner's Spiral Curriculum Theory, the objective of this case study was to explore the postsecondary pathway from remedial mathematics, through one gateway mathematics course, and into the quantitative literacy requirements of various non-STEM programs of…

In an effort to make math courses more relevant and improve success rates in college math, various organizations and colleges developed a new model of math education that has come to be called "math pathways." Math pathways enable students to take different paths through the math curriculum, depending on their course of study. With math…

My dissertation evaluates two efforts to improve undergraduate economics education---the College Fed Challenge (CFC) competition and requiring intermediate algebra as a prerequisite for taking introductory economics courses. Using survey data of undergraduate students who participated in the CFC competition and a control group of students who did…