Understanding the Impacts of First Semester Math Placement on Post Secondary Outcomes

• In Event: Institutional Policies and Practices that Support Student Success in College

Abstract

In response to increasing demand for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)-educated individuals in the workforce, state and local governments continue to enact policies intended to increase participation, particularly for underrepresented populations including women and racial minorities. Despite this increased interest, there still exist large differences the number of STEM degrees conferred across racial and socioeconomic groups. The goal of this project is to examine whether strict requirements for Calculus I enrollment in the first semester of a student’s postsecondary career can be a cause for why these differences exist.

Within the postsecondary system, many STEM majors have high credit requirements and a strict timeline of the courses to take in order to graduate within the standard four years. The math sequences required for these majors often serve as pre-requisites for the courses students want to take in the major (e.g., a student must complete the math sequence before they can take a vast majority of the electrical engineering courses). Therefore, if a student is offset in their math sequence their ability to finish their STEM degree within four years declines. This fact serves as a potential reason why failing to meet the requirements for Calculus I in the first semester may dissuade them from continuing a STEM major.

Many schools only allow students to enroll in Calculus I in their first semester if they have a standardized test score above a set cutoff. We can utilize this threshold to compare student outcomes (major choice, retention, etc.) of those who fell just below the cutoff to those just above the cutoff into enrolling in Calculus I. This comparison allows for a causal interpretation of the relationship between surpassing the cutoff and the student’s eventual outcomes. The data we use for this project includes student-level data from 18 institutions across the United States, allowing for the comparison of the effect of these cutoffs across institution-type and student subgroup (race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.). Below are the main research questions:

 

Research Questions:

1.     What is the impact of just qualifying for enrollment in Calculus 1 on the likelihood of majoring in a STEM field?

2.     What is the impact of just qualifying for enrollment in Calculus 1 on the likelihood of persisting in a STEM field and in college in general?

3.     Does just qualifying for Calculus I impact grade point averages and time to degree?

4.     Does the impact of just qualifying for Calculus I vary by student subgroup or institution characteristics?

Author

• Brianna Nicole Felegi, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
  Presenting Author