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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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    1. Paul Attewell & David Lavin & Thurston Domina & Tania Levey, 2006. "New Evidence on College Remediation," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 77(5), pages 886-924, September.
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    3. Tatiana Melguizo & Holly Kosiewicz & George Prather & Johannes Bos, 2014. "How are Community College Students Assessed and Placed in Developmental Math? Grounding Our Understanding in Reality," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 85(5), pages 691-722, September.
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    7. Paco Martorell & Isaac McFarlin, 2011. "Help or Hindrance? The Effects of College Remediation on Academic and Labor Market Outcomes," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(2), pages 436-454, May.
    8. Bailey, Thomas & Jeong, Dong Wook & Cho, Sung-Woo, 2010. "Referral, enrollment, and completion in developmental education sequences in community colleges," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 255-270, April.
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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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