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What is I-HEMTAC?

The Iowa Higher Education Mathematics Transition Advisory Council will serve as a recommending body for the purpose of developing and issuing guidance on matters relating to the mathematics transitions students make from high school through college.

Make up: University, College, Community College, and High School Faculty, IDOE Representative.

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I-HEMTAC

The charge of the Advisory Council is to examine the relevant research and related literature around mathematical transitions for the purpose of making recommendations and taking appropriate action steps to help achieve the following goal and objectives.

Goal: Effective mathematics transitions from high school through college for all students.

Objective 1: Provide Effective High School Pathways

Objective 2: Provide an Effective Transition from High School to College

Objective 3: Provide Effective Initial College Math Courses

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I-HEMTAC

Three Action Groups:

Action Group #1: Effective High School Pathways

Action Group #2: Effective Transition from

High School to College

Action Group #3: Provide Effective College Pathways

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Action Group #1

Provide effective high school pathways

1. All students should take math each year of high school.

2. All students would benefit from courses that emphasize skills that transcend

STEM and non-STEM fields such as statistics and data science.

3. Share these resources that help students and parents research math

courses needed for future college or career plans.

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Action Group #2

Effective Transition from High School to College

Current Focus is on Placement

1. Define Multiple Measures

Use a placement process designed to ascertain the student's whole mathematics story. Multiple measures should include multiple indicators and sources of evidence of student learning, of varying kinds, gathered at multiple points in time, within and across subject areas. Multiple measures provide a flexible means for placing each student in courses that are most appropriate for them.

By multiple measures we mean:

1. Student characteristics: Student's background including date of last course taken, plans, and dispositions by using an automated flow-chart.

2. Prior performance: High school math GPA and overall GPA or equivalent (e.g., utilizing the forthcoming statewide e-transcript system).

3. Process or non-cognitive factors: Effort, commitment, growth mindset, math anxiety, etc.

4. Aptitude: External test scores as supplemental sources of information.

5. Achievement: An appropriate skills test compatible with the guiding principles above.

2. Supply case studies of other institutions who have created placement tools using multiple measures

Currently working on this component.

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Action Group #3

Provide Effective College Pathways

Part 1: Why to be concerned?

High school students may have a pretty good understanding of what they need to do to get into college, and of the importance of attending college for career and financial success, but they have an undeveloped and even unrealistic understanding of what it takes to successfully transition, persist and graduate from college. As I think about our students, I see a persistent and pervasive gap between what students are expected to be able to do in college and what students actually come prepared to do…Students bring with them the habits and attitudes that may have been “good enough” to get by in high school but will not support their success in college where “passing” is not enough to maintain sufficient academic progress toward a degree.

Part 2: Issues that have attracted concern.

Effective pathways leading to different programs of study. Reduce the barrier of non-credit, remedial math courses. Streamline prerequisites for college-credit courses. Co-requisite models for STEM courses. Re-examine and consider a redesign of entry-level math courses.

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Action Group #3

Provide Effective College Pathways

Part 3: Suggestions for math placement

a. Begin talking to students early (meaning middle school) about their math pathways.

b. Make it explicit to students in high school their math pathways.

c. Educate stakeholders on the different pathways available to students.