# Presentation: 174190

## State of CollegeReadiness in Mathematics

**National Math Panel**
**November 5-7, 2006**

**State of College****Readiness in Mathematics**

## ACT Research

**What do we know about college readiness in mathematics?**
**What factors increase college readiness in mathematics?**
**What is the relationship between college readiness and college success in mathematics?**

## Data Sources

**1.2 million high school graduates who took the ACT**
**54% female, 43% male**
**63% white, 12% African-American, 7% Hispanic,     3% Asian, 1% American Indian**

## How Do We Define College Readiness in Mathematics?

**Based on actual success students experience in credit-bearing college mathematics courses**
**Directly tied to ACT College Readiness Standards**
**Define the knowledge and skills students need to attain to be college ready**

## ACT’s College ReadinessBenchmarks in Mathematics

**	****	****	****EXPLORE****	****      PLAN****	****           ACT**
**	****	****	****   ****(8-9****th****)****	****       (10****th****)****	****	****(11-12****th****)**
**Math****	****      ****	****	****17****	****	****19****	****	****     22**

## Current State of College Readiness in Mathematics

**Not enough high school students are on target to be college ready in math when they leave high school.**

**Only ****42 percent ****of our nation’s  ACT-tested students are on target to be ready for college-level math.**

## Current State of College Readiness in Mathematics

**For some groups,  substantially fewer students are on target to be ready for college-level math.**

**Julie:  Please insert graph from national report on page 3.  Ask Dan Vitale for this.**

## Current State of College Readiness in Mathematics

**	****The percentage of 2006 high school graduates who met the ACT College Readiness Benchmarks increased from ****39%**** in 2002 to ****42%**** 2006.**

**Only 3% more of the class of 2006 was actually ready for college-level math than was true in 2002.**

## What Happens When We TrackSame Students Over Time?

**   ****More ****eighth-**** and ****tenth****-grade students nationally are on target to be college ready in math than are ****actually**** ready when they graduate from high school.**

## What Happens When We TrackSame Students Over Time?

**A decline in the percentage of students who are actually ready for college-level math occurs between the 10****th**** and 12****th**** grades.**

## Factors that Matter

**Middle school students who are on target in reading are ****significantly ****more likely to be on target to be ready in other areas.**

**Students who take core courses in math are better prepared for college than those who don’t.**

## Factors that Matter

**Middle school students who are on target in reading are ****significantly ****more likely to be on target to be ready in other areas.**

**Students who take upper-level math courses are **
**2 to 5 times more prepared for college.**

## Factors that Matter

**Middle school students who are on target in reading are ****significantly ****more likely to be on target to be ready in other areas.**

**Taking upper-level courses doesn’t mean students are ready for college math courses.**

## College Readiness and College Success

**College readiness in math has a direct impact on college success.**

**Students who are college-ready in math are more likely to :**

**Enroll**** in college (77% vs 60%)**
**Earn college course ****grades of B**** or better in College Algebra     (53% vs 31%)**
**Earn ****college GPAs of 3.0**** or higher (61% vs 35%)**
**Return**** for the second year at the same college (81% vs 67%)**

## Why are Students Losing Momentum in High School?

**Students are ****not**** being asked to meet rigorous math standards in high school that are aligned with postsecondary expectations.**
**Not enough**** students are being exposed to high-level mathematics standards needed for college readiness.****	**

## Why are Students Losing Momentum in High School?

**Only ****19**** of the 49 states fully define course standards in math through high school.**
**Overall, nearly ****75**** percent of states do not have course-specific standards that define the expectations for math achievement in high school. ****	**

## What Really Matters in College Readiness in Mathematics?

**High-level course content**
**Well-qualified teachers**
**Flexible pedagogical styles**
**Tutorial support****	**

***On Course for Success***** (2005)**

## So What Can be Done?

**Recommendations:**
**Begin monitoring college readiness early and identify students who are not on target to become college ready in mathematics in middle school.**

## So What Can be Done?

**Recommendations:**
**Revise state standards to specify grade-level math expectations that:**
**Are aligned with college readiness standards**
**Detail college readiness expectations so that teachers can implement them **
**Define the type of math skills to be incorporated into each course**

## So What Can be Done?

**Recommendations:**
**Align state assessments with state standards that reflect college-level math expectations.**
**Use end-of-course assessments to evaluate the quality of core courses; these also must be aligned with college-level expectations.**

## So What Can be Done?

**Recommendations:**
**Focus on improving the quality and intensity of high school core courses.  Use end-of-course assessment information to improve instruction and learning.**

## State of CollegeReadiness in Mathematics

**National Math Panel**
**November 5-7, 2006**

**State of College****Readiness in Mathematics**