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Assessing multiple placement methods for college mathematics at a two-year college

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Abstract:
Students who attend two-year institutions are not always academically prepared for the level of work that is required to be successful. Two-year institutions determine students' readiness for college-level mathematics courses using one of three placement methods. However, few empirical studies have investigated which placement methods are most effective in predicting academic success. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the placement methods that best predict student success in college-level mathematics courses at a two-year college located in the midwestern United States. Through binary logistic regression, data obtained from the academic records of 1,330 students from a Midwestern U. S. two-year institution revealed a positive statistically significant relationship between placement methods and students' academic success. Students placed using ACT/SAT mathematics score or ACCUPLACER methods, respectively, were 1.85 (p < .05) and 3.91 (p < .001) times less likely to pass their college mathematics course compared to those students who were placed using high school grade point average (GPA). Students who took pre-calculus were 1.66 times more likely to pass than students who took statistics (p < .05) after controlling for the sociodemographic and placement type variables in the model. Age had a positive relationship with passing (OR = 1.05, p < .01). Full-time students were 1.50 times less likely than part-time students to pass (p < .05). Pell Grant eligible students were 1.57 times less likely than non-Pell Grant eligible participants to pass (p < .05). Placing students using high school GPA may improve success in college-level mathematics courses. Higher education policymakers should consider the use of high school GPA as the central method to place students into these courses.
Title: Assessing multiple placement methods for college mathematics at a two-year college.
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Name(s): Weirick, Chad William, author.
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Bibliography
Text-txt
Academic Theses.
Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation.
Issuance: monographic
Other Date: 2019.
Publisher: University of West Florida,
Place of Publication: Pensacola, Florida :
Physical Form: electronic resource
Extent: 1 online resource (xi, 154 leaves : charts)
Language(s): eng
Abstract: Students who attend two-year institutions are not always academically prepared for the level of work that is required to be successful. Two-year institutions determine students' readiness for college-level mathematics courses using one of three placement methods. However, few empirical studies have investigated which placement methods are most effective in predicting academic success. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the placement methods that best predict student success in college-level mathematics courses at a two-year college located in the midwestern United States. Through binary logistic regression, data obtained from the academic records of 1,330 students from a Midwestern U. S. two-year institution revealed a positive statistically significant relationship between placement methods and students' academic success. Students placed using ACT/SAT mathematics score or ACCUPLACER methods, respectively, were 1.85 (p < .05) and 3.91 (p < .001) times less likely to pass their college mathematics course compared to those students who were placed using high school grade point average (GPA). Students who took pre-calculus were 1.66 times more likely to pass than students who took statistics (p < .05) after controlling for the sociodemographic and placement type variables in the model. Age had a positive relationship with passing (OR = 1.05, p < .01). Full-time students were 1.50 times less likely than part-time students to pass (p < .05). Pell Grant eligible students were 1.57 times less likely than non-Pell Grant eligible participants to pass (p < .05). Placing students using high school GPA may improve success in college-level mathematics courses. Higher education policymakers should consider the use of high school GPA as the central method to place students into these courses.
Identifier: 1130062385 (oclc), WFE0000680 (IID)
Note(s): by Chad William Weirick.
College of Education and Professional Studies; Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership
Dissertation (Ed.D.) University of West Florida 2019
Includes bibliographical references.
Also available in print.
Subject(s): University of West Florida
Dissertations, Academic
Academic theses
Library Classification: LD1807.F62j 2019 W457
Persistent Link to This Record: Read full text online
Host Institution: UWF
Other Format: Assessing multiple placement methods for college mathematics at a two-year college. (Print version:)
(OCoLC)1130062386

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