Research Brief # 59 June 2013 Math Course Success Rates and Placement from High School to College

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1 Research Brief # 59 June 2013 Math Course Success Rates and Placement from High School to College Barry C. Gribbons, Ph.D. and Daylene M. Meuschke, Ed.D. The Office of Institutional Development and Technology conducted an analysis of William S. Hart Union High School District graduates placement and achievement in mathematics courses at College of the Canyons (COC) relative to course enrollment during students high school senior year. The analysis is intended to inform the Math Learning Consortium s efforts to improve coordination and articulation of curricula from high school to the community college. As is evident from recent research conducted by Long Beach City College, these analyses can have important implications for placement at the community college as well. More specifically, Hetts, Fuenmayor, and Rothstein (2012) found that measures of success from high school courses were predictive of college success and useful in placing students into college English and Math courses over standardized placement tests. To conduct the analyses, course name and grades from students high school senior year were matched with course enrollment and success data at College of the Canyons using a process to ensure anonymity of individual student records. High school math courses taken in the senior year were grouped into the following groups: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, or AP Statistics; Pre-calculus or Honors Pre-calculus; Trigonometry; Algebra II/Trigonometry; Algebra II; Geometry C; Geometry B; No math course senior year, first semester; and No math senior year both semesters. Table 1. Most Common High School Senior-Year Math Courses First Semester No Math 1,377 Algebra/Srs A 37 Algebra IIA 415 Basic Algebra C 35 Pre-Calculus A 322 Geometry IA 34 AP Calc AB-A 237 Survey/Stats 34 AP Statistics A 193 Algebra C 33 AP Calc BC-A 168 Consumer Math A 26 Algebra IIB 113 Bus Math/Excel A 23 Geometry B 49 CAHSEE Math 23 Geometry C 49 Geometry A 23 Adv Math Top A 44 H Pre-Calc A 23 Alg II/Trig A 40 Trigonometry 21

2 For the AP, Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, and Algebra II/Trigonometry, and Other Math Course groups, we determined whether or not the student earned an A or B in both the Fall and Spring semesters. For Algebra IIb, Geometry C, and Geometry B, we determined if the student earned an A or B in the second semester course (e.g. Algebra IIb) (Note: Sometimes it was completed in the Fall term). For the students who did earn As or Bs in their senior-year Math courses, we determined: if they enrolled in math classes at College of the Canyons, in which classes they enrolled, and their success rates. High School Course Enrollments. The courses in which high school students enrolled during the first semester of their senior year are listed in Table 1. As is evident from the information in the tables, the greatest number of student enroll in no math course during their senior year. Of those who enroll in math during the first semester of their senior year, the most common math courses were: Algebra IIa (n=415), Pre-Calculus (n=322), AP Calculus AB (n=237), AP Statistics (n=193), AP Calculus BC (n=168), Algebra IIb (n=113), Geometry B (n=49),and Geometry C (n=49). Math Placement by Enrollment in Math in of High School. Placement results were disaggregated for students who enrolled in math courses their senior year compared to those who did not (see Table 2). For those who enrolled in math courses their senior year, the following outcomes were observed: Students who enrolled in math their senior year of high school had a higher placement in college level math. o Placement in Math 070, Intermediate Algebra or higher was 44 percent for students who enrolled in math their senior year, compared to only 27 percent for students who did not enroll in math their senior year. o Placement in Math 102 or higher was 17 percent for students who took math their senior year of high school, compared to only 9 percent for students who did not enroll in math their senior year of high school. Only 20 percent of students who enrolled in math their senior year of high school are placed into low level, Math 025, Arithmetic, compared to 33 percent of students who did not take math in their senior year of high school. Note that students who enrolled in a math course for just the second semester of their senior year and the course was not Trigonometry, Algebra IIb, Geometry B, or Geometry C were not included in the analyses above.

3 Table 2. COC Placement Levels for Students who Enroll in Math during their of High School Compared to Those who Don t Enroll. COC Placement Math Senior Year No Math Senior Year Percent Math Percent No Math Math 025/ % 32.9% % 9.1% Math % 31.1% Math 070 or % 18.3% Math 102 or higher % 8.5% Total Placed No Placement Total Math Course Success Rates at COC. Of the students who earned an A or B in both their math courses in high school, we assessed the degree to which they successfully completed a math course at COC following high school (see Table 3). The following results were observed for the analyses for students who earned As and/or Bs in their high school senior-year math courses: For students who completed Advanced Placement (AP) courses during their senior year of high school with A s or B s, the success rates were 92 percent or higher for all groups of transferable Math courses. Few students who successfully completed an AP math courses in high school enrolled in math courses lower than a transferrablelevel at COC. Students who completed Pre-Calculus or Honors Pre-Calculus with A s or B s in their senior year of high school had a 93 percent success rates in. Students who completed Trigonometry with A s or B s in their senior year of high school had an 85 percent success rates in Math 070 or 083. Comparatively, students who did not enroll in Math their senior year of high school had a 64 percent success rate in Math 070 or 083. Students who completed Algebra IIb with A s or B s in their senior year of high school had an 83 percent success rates in Math 070 or 083. Table 3. Success Rates in COC Math Courses by High School Math Course Completed with an A or B in their Hart District Overall 2010 HS Math Course enrolled AP Calc AB/BC or AP Statistics with and A or B Of those with A or B, COC Math Course Percent COC Math Course Math 211 or higher % % % Math 070 and % Math % No Math at COC 320

4 Table 3. Success Rates in COC Math Courses by High School Math Course Completed with an A or B in their (continued) Hart District Overall 2010 HS Math Course enrolled with and A or B Of those with A or B, COC Math Course Percent COC Math Course Pre-Calc and Honors Pre-Calc Math 211 or higher % % Math 070 and % Math % No Math at COC 65 Trigonometry Math 211 or higher % Math 070 and % Math % % No Math at COC 51 Algebra II / Trigonometry 28 7 Math 211 or higher 1 0 0% Math 070 and % Math 060 No Math at COC 4 Algebra IIB Math 211 or higher % % Math 070 and % Math % % % No Math at COC 67 Geometry C Math 211 or higher Math 070 and % Math % % No Math at COC 8

5 Table 3. Success Rates in COC Math Courses by High School Math Course Completed with an A or B in their Senior Year (continued) Hart District Overall 2010 HS Math Course enrolled with and A or B Of those with A or B, COC Math Course Percent COC Math Course Geometry B Math 211 or higher Math 070 and 083 Math % % % No Math at COC 9 All Other Math Courses Math 211 or higher Math 070 and % Math % % No Math at COC 38 No Math First Semester Senior Year Only 45 Math 211 or higher Math 070 and 083 Math 060 No Math at COC No Math 1309 Math 211 or higher % % % Math 070 and % Math % % % No Math at COC 807 Did Not Get A or B 1207 Math 211 or higher % % % Math 070 and % Math % % % No Math at COC 838

6 Recommendations: These results should be used in advising students to enroll in math courses during their senior year of high school. Additionally, the results should be used in reflecting on using high school math course grades in placement into math courses at COC. If they are to be used as is indicated by these data, careful consideration should be taken to evaluate the appropriate course placements and include information on course content when determining which courses are similar between the high school level and college level. References Hetts, J., Fuenmayor, A., Rothstein, K. (2012). Promising Pathways Placement, Performance, and Progress in Basic Skills and Transfer Level Courses in English and Mathematics. Retrieved from: