Nationally, figures have been reported that as high as 80% of students who place into developmental mathematics do not complete a college degree. Many spend long periods of time repeating courses and too many leave college without a credential. As a consequence of not being prepared to enter required gateway mathematics courses, millions of students each year are not able to progress toward their career and life goals. Equally important, many of these students lack command of the mathematics necessary to be critically-engaged citizens in an increasingly quantitative age.

Responsibilities

The Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) is charged to:

  1. Identify and generate a list of "promising solutions" to specific targeted (and measurable) problems to be solved in the multi-faceted areas of:
    1. 12th-grade readiness for college mathematics;
    2. Successful transition to college;
    3. Appropriate and efficient first course placement in mathematics;
    4. Effective and innovative preparatory options;
    5. Meaningful credit-bearing options; and
    6. Prompt attention to students’ successful completion of the mathematics requirements of his/her degree program.
  2. Develop a shared working theory of practice improvement that defines those specific problems that will need to be solved in order to integrate effectively any one or more change ideas.
  3. Engage those willing to commit, individually and as a community, to measurable progress on outcomes to be accomplished with regular data feedback
  4. Agree to operate as a networked community using disciplined methods and tools of improvement research to generate practice-based evidence to guide progress toward measurable targets.
  5. Agree to participate as a learning community to share ideas and actions to accelerate improvement together.