Dana Center Receives Math Pathways Grant to Support Students in West Texas

The Dana Center is pleased to announce the receipt of a $1.2 million grant from Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) in support of a three-year effort to help increase the number of West Texas students who enroll in and complete an entry-level college math course and declare a program of study by the end of their first year.
 
Completing a gateway mathematics course within the first year of college is a fundamental principle for Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP), an ongoing initiative helping postsecondary institutions develop and implement math pathways. Mathematics pathways are a rapidly-growing national movement in colleges and universities to align math courses more closely to students’ intended major and career interests. Research strongly indicates that misaligned and lengthy math course sequences are a leading barrier to students completing college and beginning their careers as prepared workers. Established in 2012, DCMP has worked in over 30 states and impacted tens of thousands of students.
 
The work this grant supports will focus not only on developing mathematics pathways among select two- and four-year institutions of higher education in West Texas, but also on engaging area school districts and industry leaders in the interest of aligning math instruction to better serve students’ transitions from high school to college and from college to career.  
 
“West Texas is a region critical to the continued economic growth of Texas and our nation as a whole. As a hub for energy production, agriculture, and industry, the future careers of students in West Texas depend on their being strongly prepared in math and science,” said Martha M. Ellis, Ph.D., the Dana Center’s Director of Higher Education Strategy, Policy, and Services. “By providing students with mathematics preparation more closely-aligned not only to their chosen college degrees but also to the needs of their industry, we can help to ensure that growth in the future.”
 
To learn more about this grant, read the story on the GTF website.