MATH IN THE FIRST YEAR - Brief No. 24-2 - Introduction and Methodology

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

June 28, 2024 BRIEF NO. 24-2 examines implementation of math pathway practices in Washington state community and technical colleges. It analyzes first-year college-level math completion trends for first-time entrants, including differences by selected demographic groups. The brief frames math pathways as a response to structural barriers such as misaligned placement and long course sequences, and highlights evidence that credit-bearing math is often earned early. It also provides methodology and definitions for cohorts and course-credit measurement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Methodology

JUNE 28, 2024 | BRIEF NO. 24-2 MATH IN THE FIRST YEAR Introduction In the early 2010s, about 21% of first-time students entering a Washington community or technical college (CTC) attempted five or more college-level math credits in their first year; approximately 18% completed their math coursework for credit. A decade later, after colleges have worked to improve math achievement, including implementation of the Guided Pathways framework, the rate of first-time students attempting college-level math in their first year has nearly doubled, with 39% of the 2021-22 entering cohort attempting college-level math. About 33% of the students in the 2021-22 entering cohort earned five or more college-level math credits by the end of their first year. Completing math coursework in the first year, among other milestones, points to longer term success for CTC students ( Belfield et al. , 2019) . Despite some improvements in more recent years, not all students attempt math in their first year. Practitioners of math pathways, however, suggest that when colleges work to break down math barriers and align the educational experience with the goals of the student, a higher rate of students will gain not only the math skills they need but also reach later academic or career-training milestones (Getz et al. , 2016) . This brief explores the implementation of math pathways practices in Washington state, discusses the improving trends in first-year math completion rates among firsttime Washington CTC students, and examineshow these trends appear for select demographic groups. This brief serves as a starting point and template for colleges to explore their own data and evaluate first-year math outcomes at the campus level, as well as a primer for topics of future study. Background The Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas (Dana Center) identifies the traditional postsecondary math course structure as a barrier to college completion, emphasizing the need for mathematics pathways to address systemic challenges and improve equitable outcomes (Getz et al. , 2016) . The two key barriers identified by the Dana Center are 1) a mismatch of content, wherein placement in math courses is disconnected with the student’s desired program of study, and 2) long course sequences that decrease the student’s chances of completing credit-bearing math. The Guided Pathways framework seeks to address these barriers through pathways in which required math courses are appropriately aligned and contextualized to each program of study, among other design principles. Along with contextualized math, Guided Pathways requires colleges toredesign structures to enable the majority of students to earn pathway-or program-appropriate, college-level math and English credit within one year of enrollment. This one-year benchmark for college-level math and English is also mentioned in evaluation criteria from the Washington State Legislature ( RCW 28B.50.925(3)(a)) . The emphasis on completing math within the first year is further supported by evidence from Washington’s CTCs, which suggests that if students are going to earn credit for math, it’s likely earned within the first year. Of students who entered a community or technical college in 2019- 20, about 44% earned credit in college-level math within four years, with 29% of the cohort earning the credit in their first year. 11% of the 2019-20 cohort earned math credit in their second year, 3% in the third year, and 1% in their fourth year. The cascading rate at which students complete math coursework, skewing toward the first year, underlines the importance of supporting students to achieve math milestones earlier in their academic careers. Methodology Data for this brief use entering cohorts of students who are new to college. Students in these cohorts do not have a credential recorded in the National Student Clearinghouse and have no, or very minimal, prior college credits. Further, students in the coh

FAQs

What problem does this brief address about college math outcomes?

It addresses structural barriers in postsecondary math that can reduce completion, including placement mismatches and lengthy course sequences that lower the likelihood of earning credit-bearing math.

How does the brief define first-year math completion and related cohort criteria?

It uses entering student cohorts new to college with no (or minimal) prior credits and specifies enrollment and award-seeking conditions. Math courses and college-level status are defined using CIP codes and course-number thresholds, and credit is counted using SBCTC Data Warehouse “credits earned” with passing-grade criteria.

Why is completing math in the first year emphasized in Washington CTCs?

Because evidence cited in the brief shows that when students earn math credit, it is more likely to occur within the first year. The cascading completion pattern toward earlier terms supports targeting milestones earlier in students’ academic careers.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang