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Fractions in College: How Basic Math Remediation Impacts Community College Students

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  • Federick Ngo

    (University of Nevada Las Vegas)

Abstract

This study investigates the link between basic math skills, remediation, and the educational opportunity and outcomes of community college students. Capitalizing on a unique placement policy in one community college that assigns students to remedial coursework based on multiple math skill cutoffs, I first identify the skills that most commonly inhibit student access to higher-level math courses; these are procedural fluency with fractions and the ability to solve word problems. I then estimate the impact of “just missing” these skill cutoffs using multiple rating-score regression discontinuity design. Missing just one fractions question on the placement diagnostic, and therefore starting college in a lower-level math course, had negative effects on college persistence and attainment. Missing other skill cutoffs did not have the same impacts. The findings suggest the need to reconsider the specific math expectations that regulate access to college math coursework.

Suggested Citation

  • Federick Ngo, 2019. "Fractions in College: How Basic Math Remediation Impacts Community College Students," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 60(4), pages 485-520, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:60:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s11162-018-9519-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-018-9519-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Toby Park & Chenoa S. Woods & Shouping Hu & Tamara Bertrand Jones & David Tandberg, 2018. "What Happens to Underprepared First-Time-in-College Students When Developmental Education is Optional? The Case of Developmental Math and Intermediate Algebra in the First Semester," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 89(3), pages 318-340, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Angela Boatman & Susana Claro & Matias Fresard & Jenna W. Kramer, 2022. "Do Corequisite Math Courses Improve Academic Outcomes in Technical Colleges?: Evidence from Chile," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(3), pages 453-480, May.
    2. Xueli Wang & Yen Lee & Xiwei Zhu & Ayse Okur Ozdemir, 2022. "Exploring the Relationship Between Community College Students’ Exposure to Math Contextualization and Educational Outcomes," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(2), pages 309-336, March.

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