Relationship between Required Corequisite Learning and Success in College Algebra

Abstract

This study sought to answer if a relationship existed between required corequisite support and success in gateway College Algebra courses. Complete College America and Complete College Georgia initiatives over the last ten years have sought ways to increase access to higher education with high progression and completion rates. Efforts such as the Momentum Year in University System of Georgia schools utilize developmental corequisite courses for gateway English and Mathematics to ensure early success and progression. This study used a chi-square test to analyze two groups of new freshmen and their success in College Algebra-one group who participated in corequisite learning (n=55) and one group who did not participate in corequisite learning (n=158), finding that a higher proportion of students succeed in College Algebra when also enrolled in corequisite support.

Prevailing Themes Across Corequisite Mathematics Courses: A Systematic Review

“…For most reviewed articles, the placement cutoff score rarely considered the nuances of math content that a student had mastered versus math content that a student had not mastered. The result was that some students might have to complete an entire course when a math deficiency in only a small portion of a topic most influenced the placement score, an issue particularly evident in an exemption method model (Smith, 2019).…”

“…Rather than trying to determine the optimal placement for every student at the point of enrollment, USG enrolls every student in a corequisite math model as a default placement. Students are then allowed to test in a different course or satisfy the requirements in another manner, such as a high school GPA, an optional placement test score, or an optional entrance exam (Smith, 2019). Table 4 outlines the broad placement criteria found across many reviewed articles (21 of 34).…”