The expectations gap -- the difference between the level at which high schools prepare students and the preparation colleges expect -- is believed to be accountable for hindering access to, and success in, higher education. It has been largely attributed to misalignment of priorities and lack of communication among policy makers and educators and…

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 conducted a quantitative analysis to determine how the prerequisite path of students taking calculus I impacts their grade performance. We began by investigating the performance of students that took college algebra and trigonometry versus those that took pre-calculus ahead of their credit-bearing calculus I attempt. We concluded that there was…

Business Statistics is a required course for undergraduate business majors and presents significant challenges for students with weak quantitative and critical thinking skills. This paper shows that changing the pre-requisite for the Business Statistics course from Business Calculus to Probability and Statistics makes a significant positive…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection in Investigating and Improving Quantum Education through Research.] The modern physics course is a crucial gateway for physics majors as it provides an introduction to concepts beyond the scope of the K-12 education. This study collected 167 modern physics syllabi from 127 U.S. research-intensive…

Using administrative data from nearly 270,000 transfer-intending students who began at 70 community colleges across three state systems, this paper seeks to identify a set of metrics that will be useful to community college leaders as they formatively assess their colleges' efforts to improve STEM transfer outcomes. We find that a relatively…

Background: Many engineering students fail to proceed through required prerequisite mathematics courses. Since these courses strongly influence engineering student attrition, we should examine to what degree these courses truly serve as prerequisites for following engineering coursework. Purpose/Hypothesis: We examined two research questions:…

In the United States, the first course in single-variable calculus is considered tertiary level mathematics. Initially offered in high schools as a means for strong students to do college-level work, it is now taken by over 20% of high school students and perceived to be a prerequisite for admission into selective colleges and universities. This…

This qualitative study explores the lack of African American students enrolled in AP Calculus courses in North Carolina public high schools. It considered the perception of student-counselor relationships, academic advising practices, and identity of high school counselor participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with three, African…

Calculus is a stepping stone to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers, but countless college students abandon their STEM ambitions after an encounter with calculus--or to avoid taking the intimidating course altogether. While traditional approaches have focused on prerequisite courses--which often repeat high…

The transition of the educational system in the Philippines vastly affects basic and higher education. A mismatch of pre-requisite Mathematics learning competencies from the basic education level occurred when the student reached higher education. This descriptive-developmental method of the study utilized the developed contextualized learning…

There is a low enrollment of African American high school students in advanced mathematics. High school advanced mathematics are prerequisites to college calculus, one of the basic courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. African Americans earned only 7.6% of all bachelor's degrees in science, technology,…

Because statistical analysis requires the ability to use mathematics, students typically are required to take one or more prerequisite math courses prior to enrolling in the business statistics course. Despite these math prerequisites, however, many students find it difficult to learn business statistics. In this study, we use an ordered probit…

Data from 99 students who completed a microeconomics course indicated that better grades in calculus led to significantly better grades in microeconomics. Higher levels of prior achievement as shown by grade point average correlated with better microeconomics performance. (SK)