1. COMMON FINAL EXAMS IN BEGINNING AND INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA TO ADDRESS GRADING VARIATIONS

2. Situation: Many Mathematics classes are sequential. Without sufficient mastery of the prerequisite course material, student success in the following Math class plummets.

3. Problems: Grading variation between instructors of the same courses results in: 1.Failure of students in next Math class if instructor mastery standard is too low. 2.A student equity issue if instructor master level is too high.

4. To address the issue: A common final exam was instituted in Intermediate Algebra in the Fall 2000 semester and in Beginning Algebra in the Spring 2004 semester.

5. Caution: Don’t try this at home! A series of safeguards, logistical coordination and broadband avenues for input and output from participating faculty must be established so that faculty feel their academic freedom is not compromised.

6. Included but not limited to:  Common final czars chosen  Course topics approved by division  Instructors submit questions on selected topics  Instructors allowed to supplement final exam  Instructors given percentage range to count final exam  Holistic grading evolution  Instructors re-grade own exams  Coordination of rooms for 1000 students

7. Included but not limited to:  Proctoring assignments  Czars with some faculty not teaching the course compose exam  Old exams put online  Conferences between division chair and each faculty member teaching common final class  Results matrix by class  SLO’s  Item Analyses  Faculty workshops – closing the loop continue

8. Intermediate Algebra Instructor Data Fall 2004

9. Intermediate Algebra Instructor Data Spring 2007

10. Variability Comparison Fall 2004/Spring 2007

11. Intermediate Algebra Item Analysis Fall 2004

12. Thank you Contact Information Peter Stathis, Chair Division of Mathematics Glendale College pstathis@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 x 5658 All information can be found online: www.glendale.edu  Select California campus  Select faculty and staff  Select academic departments  Select mathematics  Select common final exams OR  Select Carnegie Projects