A Focus on Biology - An Extension of the Report Preparatory Pathways and STEM Calculus Completion: Implications of the AB 1705 Standards

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

A Focus on Biology extends findings from a report on calculus completion for STEM students in California Community Colleges under AB 1705 standards. Analysis of over 37,000 STEM students shows only 32% completed STEM Calculus 1 within two years after beginning in preparatory math. This brief examines whether biology majors experience different calculus pathways by reworking methodology, disaggregating biology TOP codes, rerunning regressions, and comparing two-year throughput from first course attempts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Key Terms

Methodology

Key Findings

STEM Calculus 1 throughput by first college math course

Biology majors vs other STEM majors

A Focus on Biology: An Extension of the Report Preparatory Pathways and STEM Calculus Completion: Implications of the AB 1705 Standards Introduction Research conducted by The RP Group’s Multiple Measures Assessment Project (MMAP) and summarized in Preparatory Pathways and STEM Calculus Completion: Implications of the AB 1705 Standards found high rates of attrition along the path to calculus for students pursuing programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) . In this study of over 37,000 STEM students in the California Community Colleges (CCC) , 70% began in a transferable, college math course below calculus, yet only 32% of those starting in one of these preparatory courses completed STEM Calculus 1 within two years. The aforementioned report offered insights to help colleges respond to legislative mandates calling for databased placement policies designed to improve calculus completion rates. These legal standards now require colleges to provide evidence that their STEM students begin in the math coursework that best positions them to complete the calculus requirements for their programs of study. Since California law also requires community colleges to use high school transcript data as the primary means of Key Terms STEM Calculus 1: The first STEM Calculus course, equivalent to C-ID Math 210, 211, or the first half of Math 900S. Direct Enrollment: student’s first math enrollment in the California community college system, not necessarily in the freshman year. STEM Calculus 1 Two-Year Throughput: proportion of the cohort starting in a specified course in the calculus pathway (College Algebra, Trigonometry, Precalculus, or STEM Calculus 1) who successfully completed, with a C or better, STEM Calculus within two years. Preparatory Course: A transferlevel math course required in the path to STEM Calculus 1 that may include College Algebra, Trigonometry, or Precalculus. placement, the analyses examined STEM Calculus throughput from various starting points in the college curriculum and grouped STEM students by high school grade point average (GPA) and level of math preparation. Within each group, a consistent pattern emerged: STEM Calculus 1 throughput was highest for students who directly enroll in Calculus 1 and progressively lower for students starting in Precalculus, Trigonometry, and College Algebra. This brief provides a follow-up to the initial report with a particular focus on students in biology majors. Our goal is to determine if the original report underestimated calculus completion rates for certain biology majors because their programs of study allowed for a different form of calculus. For example, even though STEM Calculus is the gateway requirement for most STEM majors, some California State University (CSU) biology programs allow for applied calculus courses, and a few permit precalculus to satisfy biology degree requirements.1 This brief provides a short overview of additions to the original methodology, followed by key findings that address questions about the applicability of the original research when we examine biology majors separate from other STEM majors. Methodology MMAP disaggregated the cohort used in the statewide analysis of all STEM majors in the original research, separating biology majors and non-biology majors. We identified biology majors by TOP codes 0401.00 (General Biology) and 4902.00 (Biological and Physical Sciences and Mathematics). As an additional check, we re-examined TOP codes related to biology excluded from the original analyses, using the TOP Code Handbook, the Chancellor’s Office DataMart, Chancellor’s Office Curriculum Inventory ( COCI), and college catalogs. Our review confirmed that some colleges used biology-related TOP codes other than 0401.00 and 4902.00 to describe local certificate or associate degree programs with math requirements other than courses in the calculus pathway. For more information on the original methodology, se

FAQs

What does the AB 1705 standards emphasis mean for calculus placement and completion?

The standards require colleges to provide evidence that students begin in the math coursework best positioned to complete calculus requirements for their programs of study.

How does the brief define STEM Calculus 1 throughput?

It is the proportion of a cohort starting in a specified course in the calculus pathway who successfully completed STEM Calculus 1 with a C or better within two years.

Do biology majors show different STEM Calculus 1 throughput patterns than other STEM students?

No. When biology outcomes are examined separately, the STEM Calculus 1 throughput patterns align with the original analysis for all STEM students.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah