The Effects of Remedial Math on Student Outcomes: Evidence From an International Study of Open-Access Campuses in Chile

• In Event: Postsecondary Student Outcomes Investigated Using Quasi-Experimental Research Designs

Abstract

Using data on students attending one of the largest colleges in Chile across multiple campuses, we isolate the effects of taking an additional semester-long remedial course in the first year on subsequent course grades. Unlike prior research, we have the advantage that all students in our sample take the same courses at the same time, with enrollment in remedial math being the only difference among students of the same academic major. This allows us to better understand the true effects of remedial courses on subsequent course grades, as there is no variation in the courses students take in in our sample. We focus on the effects of these courses on subsequent college enrollment, grades in college-level courses, and eventual degree attainment.

Authors

• Angela Boatman, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College

• Susana Claro, Stanford University