Helen Burn Student Achievement Database: Exploring Precollege Mathematics Achievement Helen Burn, Ph.D. Department of Mathematics Highline Community College
Tipping Point Research Building Pathways to Success for Low-Skill Adult Students: Lessons for Community College Policy and Practice from a Longitudinal Student Tracking Study (Prince & Jenkins, 2005) Higher educational attainment = higher earnings Benefits of one year of college + credential $7,000 for students who started in ESL $8,500 for those who started in ABE or GED $2,700 and $1,700 for those entering with a GED or high school diploma, respectively
Momentum Points Milestones along the way to “tipping”: Completing pre-college math or English credits Completing college-level quantitative course Attaining 15 college-level credits Attaining 30 college-level credits Attaining degree or certificate (tipping). Certain certificates counted if 45 or more credits also earned. Student Achievement Database website: Data dictionary:
Variables of Interest for Math
Highline’s Analysis Precollege Math Momentum Point Achievement of Eligible Students*, by Cohort (n=13028) (n=13761) (n=14370 Attained 5-credits college-level quantitative credits QuantCourse_Point = 19% Attempted precollege math momentum points (PcMP) CollegeReady PreMath_Attempted = 113%12%13% Attained at least one precollege math momentum point (PCMP) CollegeReady PreMath_Points ne 0 9%8%9% *I omitted 5045 (11%) students who had previously earned five college-level quantitative credits (QuantCoursesEarnedPrior = 1). The remaining students are considered “eligible” for precollege math points [PcMP]
Many types of students attempt* PcMP: Who Attempts PcMP? (LastPurpAttend by Cohort) A0506A0607A0708 Transfer Prof-Tech Other HS/GED Enrichment Missing TOTAL *Variable = CollegeReadyMath_Attempted ne 0
How many PcMP do eligible students attain in a year?
Attempted and Attained, by Gender and Age Percent who attempted and attained at least one PcMP, by age and gender
Limitation “Attempt” is a dichotomous variable (0-no, 1- yes). Students who attain 3 PcMP could do it with 1, 2, or 3 attempts. Solution: Create “# attempts” variable using transcript data.
PcMP Attempt and Attain Data Precollege Math Momentum Points Attained # Attempts 0123Total (44%)699 (56%)* (14%)208 (44%)196 (42%)* (6%)30 (26%)39 (33%)41 (35%)* (60%)2 (20%) 10 Total * Shaded cells are “success”: attempts = attained Highline plans to track the “one-one” group
Subgroup Analysis of “one-one” group Percent Attained One PcMP, on one attempt, by gender and age.
Additional Variables Created by Highline Pcmathattempts - # precollege math attempts MathPlace - Highest math placement (1, 2, or 3 levels below college level) WritPlace - Highest writing placement (1, 2, or 3 levels below college level) ReadPlace - Highest reading placement (1, 2, or 3 levels below college level) MP311status – refers to Achieving the Dream moniker (3 levels below college in math and one level below college in writing or reading)
Student Achievement Dashboard for Precollege Mathematics A0506A0607A Males51%47%41% Place 3 levels below in Math 50%48%53% Hispanic/Latino53%46% African-American46%47%49% Females67% 59% Percent of students who attempted and successfully completed one pre- college math course during the year (attained the grade needed to advance to the next course
Helen Burn Each college has its unique Student Achievement Data. The value to me of the database is that it broadens focus from single courses to overall course-taking patterns that can be tracked easily over time.