Date Approved

3-15-2017

Embargo Period

3-16-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Educational Leadership

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Kerrigan, Monica

Committee Member 1

Milou, Eric

Committee Member 2

Perry, Jill

Keywords

Algebra, College-Level Math, Developmental Education, Liberal Arts Math, Local Randomization, Regression Discontinuity

Subject(s)

Underprepared community college students; Algebra--Study and teaching

Disciplines

Community College Leadership | Science and Mathematics Education

Abstract

Many students enter community college underprepared for college-level math and are placed into developmental elementary algebra without consideration if the algebra will provide a foundation for their needed college-level math course. Large percentages of those students are unable to succeed in the developmental course and, therefore, are unable to graduate (Bahr, 2008; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010). This quasi-experimental design focused on students who are not in math-intensive majors, needing only a general liberal arts math course. The purpose was to determine the impact of the elementary algebra course on success in college-level math and persistence in college. Student performance data were aggregated from four community colleges within a state in the northeastern United States. Students' success in a college-level liberal arts math course and total credits earned were examined. An independent t test showed students who scored above the cut-off for developmental placement outperforming those who scored below, yet all differences disappeared when a regression discontinuity was implemented, leading to a conclusion that the actual placement in developmental algebra had no impact on students' success in college-level math or total credits earned.

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