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Transitioning Math Transcript Research in Support of TMP. Dave Pavelchek Washington State University Social & Economic Sciences Research Center Puget Sound Division 360-586-4583 http://www.sesrc.wsu.edu/k12 dpavel@wsu.edu December 2007. Background.
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Transitioning MathTranscript Research in Support of TMP Dave Pavelchek Washington State University Social & Economic Sciences Research Center Puget Sound Division 360-586-4583 http://www.sesrc.wsu.edu/k12 dpavel@wsu.edu December 2007
Background • SESRC has been providing technical assistance to the TMP project(s) on evaluation issues • SESRC has also been conducting transcript studies for districts, analyzing the relationship between courses and grades and post high school outcomes
The Shoreline Transition Math Partnership • Shoreline School District and Shoreline Community College • Interested in the patterns of students currently making the post-secondary transition • For insight into current dynamics • As a potential baseline to measure change
Study Sample • Graduated from Shoreline District in 2003, 2004 or 2005 • Enrolled in district at least 3 years • SPED & ELL students excluded
Data • High School transcripts for 1,785 students • Community college math placement scores, courses, and grades for the 713 enrolled at Shoreline Community College • Post-secondary followup ranged from 2 to 4 years for the three classes
Definitions of “College Ready” • A student who enrolled in a college-level course at a community college without first taking a remedial course. OR • A student whose placement test score placed them at a college math level
Math Grades and College Attendance(Note - percentages are of each grade level)
Math Preparation & College Type(Note – the percents are of each Prep Level)
Composition of Math Preparation for Shoreline Grads at Different College Types
Int 3 Grade & College Type(Note – the percents are of each Grade Level)
Composition of Int 3 Grades for Shoreline Grads at Different College Types
Senior Math Composition for Shoreline Grads at Different College Types
Complexity and the Colinearity Problem • What we would like to know is causation – what ‘gives’ students better math skills and retention • If not that, predictive value – what tells us how what a student should tackle next, and how hard it will be • Unfortunately, the usual suspects travel in packs. The same students who get higher math grades in Int 3, tend to get higher math grades overall, and take more and more advanced math, and are more likely take math in senior year • This is called “colinearity” & it is why we resort to multivariate regression
Research Questions on Remedial Enrollments • How well are Placement Test Scores predicted by high school math preparation? • How well is Enrollment in Remedial Math predicted by high school math preparation? • How well is Enrollment in College Level Math predicted by high school math preparation? • How well are Grades in College Level Math predicted by high school math preparation?
Findings from Similar Projects • Different districts are interested in different questions. • Data availability changes • Methods improve (hopefully).
Examples of Other Uses of Transcript Research • Investigating Remedial English • Patterns of enrollment & persistence by type of college • Role of CTE in college selection, enrollment & persistence
Transcript Research on Remedial English (Not Shoreline SD Data)
Findings from Regression on English College Readiness(Pooled Data from 2 Districts) • Logistic regression with an R2 value of approximately 20% (N=717) • Highest level English course taken strongest • English GPA was second-most important • ELL, & Ethnicity were also significant • Non-significant variables: gender and taking any English in the senior year
However, remedial English is not just a problem for recent immigrants(Not Shoreline SD Data)
Persistence from First to Second College Year by Level of HS Coursework (Not Shoreline Data)
Percent Transferring from a Local 2-Year to 4-Year College by HS Grades(Not Shoreline SD Data)
For more information To view other WSU-SESRC research reports on education topics please see our website at: http://www.sesrc.wsu.edu/k12/ Email: dpavel@wsu.edu sternpo@wsu.edu