Message from Paula:
Seizing Opportunities for Collaboration and Coordination
Coming from an institution with a strong leadership team that successfully implemented mathematics pathways, I am overjoyed to join the Dana Center and dive into my new role. As Implementation Lead, I support state and institutional teams in six states as they begin to implement and scale math pathways.
In May, the Dana Center will co-sponsor a Designing Mathematics Pathways workshop with Achieving the Dream. This workshop provides a valuable opportunity for institutional teams to deepen their understanding of math pathways and to collectively plan to take action towards implementation. (See registration details below.)
Opportunities for joint efforts are integral to our approach of coordinated action as we serve institutions across all roles and levels of the system. Our recent professional development weekend at the Virginia Community College System is another example of the Dana Center’s commitment to collaboration and coordination. Math faculty members from Virginia’s 2-year colleges worked together to explore how evidence-based curriculum and pedagogy can be used to increase student engagement in the learning process.
Such collaborations show not only how the Dana Center supports institutions, but they also exemplify how faculty can support one another as we all continue to work towards implementation of math pathways. I hope you too will seize these opportunities to collaborate!
Paula Talley, Implementation Lead
Higher Education Services
D e s i g n i n g M a t h e m a t i c s P a t h w a y s W o r k s h o p
Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 10–12, 2017
This highly interactive workshop supports institutional teams to begin or deepen their work in developing and implementing math pathways at scale. It is designed for institutional teams comprising math faculty, an administrator, and a representative of advising. Teams will leave with specific action steps to launch new efforts in math redesign or further current work.
Are you looking for videos of students or faculty talking about their experiences with math pathways? Are you searching for that perfect clip to enhance your mathematics pathways presentation? Check out our new searchable video feature on the DCMP Resource Site and sort by student, faculty member, or other filters to find just the right video you need today.
Welcome Lisa Gerber
We are pleased to introduce the newest addition to our team. Lisa Gerber will work with colleagues across the Center to coordinate programs for the DCMP. Her work will involve event planning, project management, and digital content strategy.
She holds a Master of Science degree from the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University.
FUN FACTS: LISA GERBER EDITION
What’s your favorite ... ...movie? The Big Lebowski and Lost in Translation...book?Most recent favorite read: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff...dish?Ramen from Ramen Tatsu-Ya in Austin.
Name a place that you’d like to travel in your lifetime.Japan.
What’s something that would surprise people to learn about you?I’m obsessed with slow/sustainable fashion. All of my clothes are handmade, thrifted, or secondhand.
A Note to Conference Organizers
Like many of you, we are at the tail end of the first wave of conferences for this calendar year. Thank you to all of the conference organizers for building these communities of learning. We appreciate these opportunities to engage with many of you and to learn about the amazing work being done in classrooms, institutions, and other organizations.
Is Learning in Developmental Math Associated with Community College Outcomes?
If developmental math courses are intended to support students in successfully completing college-level math courses, then what should students be learning in these developmental courses? As it turns out, according to Quarles and Davis (2016), “The [procedural] skills that students gain from traditional algebra classes are not helping them pass college-level math” (p. 45). Therefore, to improve student success outcomes, conceptual skills are more important prerequisites for success in college-level math.
To find out more, download the research article here. Also, check out our conversation with co-author Chris Quarles.
A Conversation with Chris Quarles
CUNY to Revamp Remedial Programs, Hoping to Lift Graduation Rates
Whether you want to stay more connected with the DCMP or you want to learn more about the Dana Center’s K–12 work and our initiatives supporting underserved students, you’ll want to check our Twitter feed.
