Developmental Mathematics Obstacles in Career and Technical Education Programs: One Case of Successful Response

• In Event: Partnering With Practitioners: How Researcher-Practitioner Collaborations Can Benefit Research and Practice

Abstract

Objective
This paper focuses on the redesign of a developmental mathematics program resulting from a two-year developmental evaluation that employed improvement science tools as lenses to analyze a dual enrollment Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

Theoretical Framework
Dual enrollment CTE programs are partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and workforce partners that are meant to prepare students for a career and complete their Associate’s (AA) degree. The challenges facing CTE programs include weak curriculum structuring and alignment, inefficient administrative support, lack of collaboration and professional development, failure to meet workforce standards, and minimal impact on college-preparedness (Maxwell & Rubin 2000; Stipanovic et. al, 2012; Stone et. al, 2005 & 2006). In light of these challenges, CTE programs face low completion rates with only 30% of students completing an AA degree or higher (NCES:2011). Why might CTE programs face these challenges? In our work we investigate the possibility that there is a disconnect between the theories-in-use and espoused theories of CTE programs that result from their complex social systems of collaboration. In order to ensure that students are qualified for their future careers, CTE programs must iteratively align academic coursework and training to the changes that occur in the standards and training requirements of workforce partners.

Methods
The context of our developmental evaluation is a dual enrollment CTE program. In our attempt to make progress on the challenges facing this CTE program, we utilized a developmental evaluation approach that is participatory as it embeds the researcher in the program’s design team; utilizes a systems thinking approach; is interdisciplinary; offers innovative, real-time user- and context- specific feedback; and builds thinking capacity. Improvement science tools– linkage of processes mapping, driver diagram construction, and root cause analysis–served as lenses to developmental evaluation as they helped to map out the system dynamics, draw out the program’s theory of action, increase collaboration across stakeholders, and build the program’s thinking capacity.

Findings
As the research team mapped the program’s work processes, it became evident that placing into and passing required math courses was the biggest obstacle to completing an AA degree. Several factors interfered with students’ math achievement and engagement that included: a) lack of alignment between math content and the requirements of developmental mathematics; b) large student to teacher ratios; c) minimal assessment and differentiation; d) underdeveloped pedagogical strategies and instructor skills; and e) student understanding of math requirements. After redesigning the math program to address these challenges, 95% of the program’s current cohort is on track to finish the developmental mathematics sequence and graduate with an AA degree, an increase of 60%.

Scholarly Significance
Community colleges are currently being asked to answer a national call of producing 5 million graduates by 2020. Increased investment in CTE programs is one way our federal government hopes to achieve this goal. However, the national AA degree completion rate of CTE programs is 30% (NCES:2011). The findings from this developmental evaluation offer insight into one of the biggest obstacles facing community college graduation–entry-level mathematics.

Authors

• Rebecca Colina Neri, University of California - Los Angeles

• Louis M. Gomez, University of California - Los Angeles

• Kimberley Gomez, University of California - Los Angeles