FastTrack Developmental Math Mountain Empire Community College Big Stone Gap, VA

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Fast-Track Developmental MathMountain Empire
Community CollegeBig Stone Gap, VA

• Sharon Fisher, Director of Planning/Community
  Relations
• Carolyn Reynolds, Dean of Arts Sciences
• Achieving the Dream Strategy Institute
• January 20-24, 2007

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Mountain Empire Community College
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MECCs Strategy

• Planning Year
• Created Core Team and Data Team
• Collected Data
• Created Strategy Teams
• First Year of Implementation
• Developed Focus Areas
• Developmental Committees
• Learning Community/Active Learning Committee
• 1st Year Experience Committee
• Advising
• Orientation
• Early Alert

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Baseline Developmental Student Outcomes

• 72 of the first-time student cohort were
  assessed into at least one developmental course
• 57 of all students (registrations) in
  developmental courses were successful in first
  attempt

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Developmental Committees

• Developmental Committee
• College-wide membership (includes a student)
• Provides oversight/assistance to all
  developmental initiatives
• Developmental Faculty Committee
• Includes all full-time Math and English faculty
  teaching developmental courses
• Provides nuts and bolts of course revisions
  (benchmarking, data and literature review, etc.)

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Developmental Math Initiatives

• Implemented Fast-Track Math, Summer 2006
• MTH 2 Arithmetic and MTH 3 Algebra I
• Changed Compass from DOS to WEB version
• Updated processes and procedures
• Created Academic Resource Center (w/English)
• Implementing Fast Track Math, Spring 2007
• Implementing two sections of Algebra 1 Peer-Led
  Team Learning, Spring 2007
• Revising all developmental math courses
• Developing Bridge program, Summer 2007

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Fast-Track Math Development

• Sylvia Brown, Assistant Professor of Math
• Learned of fast-track math courses through
  William Coes presentation at VMATYC math peer
  group meeting
• Ms. Brown visited William Coe at Montgomery
  Community College to observe classes in operation
• Achieving the Dream funds provided 3 hours
  released time for Ms. Brown to develop courses

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Fast-Track Math Purpose

• Fast-paced instruction for students knowing
  material but needing a review
• Can complete two developmental courses in one
  semester or summer term

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Fast-Track Math Requirements

• MTH 2 Arithmetic
• On scale of 0 33, must score 20 or higher
• on COMPASS math assessment
• MTH 3 Algebra 1
• Passed Algebra 1 in high school but assessing
  into Math 3 on COMPASS

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Fast-Track Math Length Credits

• Math 2 Arithmetic
• Summer One week and 1 credit
• Semester Five weeks and 1 credit
• Math 3 Algebra 1
• Summer Two weeks and 2 credits
• Semester Ten weeks and 2 credits

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Fast-Track Math Promotion

• Developed hand-outs for each course
• Requirements
• Target Group
• Dates and Times of Classes
• Contact Information
• Spoke to each academic division
• Promoted in class schedule for spring

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Student Outcomes

• Summer 2006, MTH 2 Arithmetic
• 6 students
• 100 completion rate
• Final Exam average
• 93 compared to 75 for traditional course
• These students were very motivated to pass the
  course. Most students said they learned a lot in
  the course, they would take a similar course
  again, and they would recommend it to a friend.

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Student Outcomes

• Summer 2006, MTH 3 Algebra 1
• 8 students (2 from MTH 2)
• 100 completion rate
• Final Exam average
• 88.5
• These students were very bright. When
  surveyed, six students said the course moved at
  just the right pace. Two students said it moved
  too slowly. All eight students stated if they
  had the opportunity to take a similar Fast- Track
  Course again that they would probably take it or
  definitely take it.

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Fast-Track Math Course Materials

• MTH 2 Arithmetic
• Ms. Brown designed a textbook from COMPASS
  materials she had previously developed
• MTH 3 Algebra 1
• Used William Coes Elementary Fast Track textbook
  plus supplementary material developed by Ms. Brown

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Instructors Comment

• I deeply appreciate Carolyn Reynolds, the MECC
  Administration, and the AtD Committee and Staff
  for allowing me to develop and offer these
  courses. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching both of
  these classes. Several students commented that
  when I presented a topic on the board, they
  thought, Ah ha, I remember this now. I hope
  these courses will continue to be offered at
  MECC.

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Fast-Track Math, Spring 2007

• MTH 2 Arithmetic
• Five weeks in length, 1 credit
• Enrollment 4
• MTH 3 Algebra 1
• Ten weeks in length, 2 credits
• Enrollment 8

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Fast-Track Math Model for Student Success
Certificate

• MECC is initiating Student Success Certificate as
  incentive and mechanism to involve all faculty in
  improving student outcomes
• Fast-Track Math was used as an example to MECC
  faculty at January inservice how to complete
  certificate application and approval forms.

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Internet Resources

• http//www.mecc.edu/atd/index.html
• MECCs AtD website
• Fast-Track Math Initiative
• Student Success Certificate