SamRAMP Transition Math Project 2008-2009 Activities

Math Placement Test Lessons by Cascadia Community College Faculty in High School Senior Math Classes

The SamRAMP Transition Math Project Steering Committee, a collection of Northshore School District high school math teachers and Cascadia Community College math faculty, was concerned about the number of current high school seniors who are unaware of the math placement test process they will be experiencing in their transition to college.  In order to educate students, Megan Luce, Cascadia math faculty, designed a lesson to take into the high schools.  She visited eleven senior math classrooms at the four senior high schools in the Northshore School District during Winter 2009.  The specific classrooms chosen were non-Precalculus fourth year senior math courses enrolled with college-bound students.

The lesson asked students to identify their college plans, research math placement test practices at those institutions, understand the current data on high school to math transition, and complete sample placement test questions.  Teachers were given all the materials used in the lesson so that they may replicate the activity on their own.  Exit slips were given to students at the end of the period and questions were asked of teachers regarding the experience.   Overall, students and teachers were very positive about the visit from the community college faculty.

(See Math Placement Tests Lesson Outline, Math Placement Tests Pre-Assignment, Math Placement Tests Question Cards, Math Placement Tests Overview, Math Placement Tests Exit Slip Responses, Teacher Evaluation Responses for MPT Lesson)

 

Community Education Regarding Math College Readiness Issues
The SamRAMP Transition Math Project Steering Committee identified one of its goals as educating the community with regards to math students being college ready.  Specifically, the committee wanted to focus on the data from the Northshore School District Remediation Study (July 2008) which indicated that students who took a fourth year of high school math increased their likelihood of placing into college level math from 39% to 80%.  The steering committee developed a one page hand-out with this information which was presented at parent nights throughout the Northshore School District in winter and spring 2009.  The information was also distributed to teachers and counselors in the district for their use in advising students.
(See Handout for parent meeting)

Transition Math Project Spring Workshops
In Spring 2009, the SamRAMP Transition Math Project offered workshops to both Northshore School District math teachers and Cascadia Community College math instructors.  One set of workshops was focused on introducing instructors to using WAMAP (Washington Mathematics Assessment and Placement), specifically as an assessment tool.  The other workshop gave instructors a chance to come to Cascadia to take the COMPASS placement exam and discuss the experience with others.  The workshops were well-received, and participants asked for a follow-up WAMAP project session in late June.
( See TMP Spring 2009 Workshops and Creating WAMAP Assessments Project Session Flyer)

New Math Course Options at Cascadia
Cascadia Community College, as part of the SamRAMP Transition Math Project partnership with the Northshore School District, will be offering new ways for students to fulfill their precollege level math classes during the 2009-2010 school year.

  • Cascadia has created two new refresher courses that are being offered to students during the Prefall Session (early September before the Fall quarter begins).  These courses are designed for two types of students: 1. Students who are unhappy with their math placement level and feel they can place higher after taking a refresher course, and 2. Students who have anxiety about their current placement and feel they could benefit from a course that will help them fill in gaps in understanding.  These refresher courses are being offered for both Elementary and Intermediate Algebra.

(See Prefall 2009 Refresher Math Courses)

  • Cascadia is offering a new 10 credit MATH 095 (Intermediate Algebra) / COLL 100 (College Strategies) learning community class in Fall 2009.  The class will meet 2 hours per day, 4 days per week, and focus on creating an environment that insures success of developmental math students.  While learning Intermediate Algebra skills and concepts, students will also explore issues of math anxiety, testing strategies, and ways of knowing across academic disciplines.   This course is being team taught by one English and one Mathematics faculty member.

(See MATH 095 COLL 100 Poster)

  • Typically, math classes at Cascadia meet two times per week, for approximately two hours each session.  Students and faculty have reported that having classes that meet more often may be beneficial to math learning and retention.  Some precollege level math classes have had sections which meet three times per week, but in 2009-2010 Cascadia plans to offer sections of both Elementary and Intermediate Algebra which will meet four times per week. 



Contact: Megan Luce at mluce@cascadia.edu

Return to Project Directory | Return to SamRAMP Home Page