Brock Klein

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Summer Math Jam Preparing Students for Success

• Brock Klein
• Pasadena City College
• Pasadena, California

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Summer 2006 Math Jam

• Logistics
• 2 weeks of no-credit prealgebra instruction
• Monday Friday, 9am 3pm
• 1 math instructor, 6 tutor/mentors, 1 counselor,
  and 3 guest speakers
• Participants
• 72 students, 80 first-time college students

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Summer 2007 Math Jam

• Logistics
• 2 weeks of no-credit prealgebra and elementary
  algebra instruction
• Monday Friday, 9am 3pm
• 4 math instructor, 10 tutor/mentors, 5
  counselors, and 2 guest speakers
• Participants
• 137 students, 78 first-time college students

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Target Population

• New students who place into
• basic skills math

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Short-term Outcomes

• Awareness of support services and resources
• Connectedness to campus
• Creation of a network of support
• Improved attitude toward math, counseling, and
  tutoring

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Long-term Outcomes

• Change in behavior
• -- increased confidence
• -- productive engagement in class
• -- regular use of college resources
• Increased retention and success in
• basic skills math

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Summer Math Jam

• Curriculum
• Integration of math, counseling, study skills,
  and orientation to college
• Methodology
• Active, application-based learning

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The Summer Contract

1. Miss no more than one full day or two half days
   of Math Jam
2. Meet at least once with the Math Jam counselor
   and tutor
3. Cooperate, work hard, and have fun

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The Payoff

1. Receive a FREE math textbook in the fall
2. Participate in the LifeLines Program

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Fall LifeLines Contract

• During the fall semester, students must
• meet with a math tutor at least 8 times
• meet with the counselor at least twice
• meet with math instructor during conference hours
  at least twice
• pass fall math course

Upon successful completion, students receive a
FREE math textbook for spring!
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Math Jam 2006 Findings

• Retention rate 89
• of students on the first day 72
• of students on the last day 64
• Completion rate -- 92
• of students who qualified for the Fall
  LifeLines Program
• Jump rate -- 56
• of students who jumped one level of math

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Notable Survey Findings

• 97 rated Math Jam as good or excellent
• 97 felt better prepared for their fall math
  course
• 94 felt less anxious about math
• 91 felt more connected to the college
• 88 felt they gained useful study skills
• 100 would recommend Math Jam to their friends

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2007 Preliminary Findings

• of students interested in Math Jam 188
• of students on the first day 137 (73)
• of Math Jam students who qualified for Fall
  LifeLines 89 (65)

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Research Questions

1. Will the summer orientation to college and the
   pre-collegiate brush-up increase persistence in
   college and success in math?
2. If so, when can we expect to see the increase?

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Challenges

• Making sure that all students have taken the
  placement test and have enrolled in a fall math
  class
• Getting students to complete their fall contract