Dana Center Mathematics Pathways Launches New Pathways Work in Missouri

The Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP), a program of the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin, has selected Missouri for a new initiative intended to improve college-level mathematics education. Students at nine universities and community colleges in the Kansas City area will benefit from mathematics education designed to propel them more effectively through their degree or certificate completion and to better prepare them for careers after graduation.

Supported by a $1.1 million grant from the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York, the initiative is led by the Missouri Department of Higher Education in collaboration with the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin. The participating institutions have a combined population of more than 45,000 students, representing 20–25 percent of Missouri’s total college and university enrollment. Institutions in the Kansas City region serve African American and Hispanic students at rates above statewide levels. 

This DCMP initiative builds on the work of the Missouri Mathematics Pathways Task Force and the Dana Center to establish mathematics pathways among Missouri’s institutions of higher education. That three-year effort resulted in the implementation of at least two mathematics pathways options in 26 of 27 public colleges and universities. The new initiative expands on that work, particularly in moving mathematics pathways to become standard practice to better prepare students for their future careers.

Mathematics pathways are a rapidly growing national movement in colleges and universities to align math courses more closely to students’ intended majors and future careers. The DCMP began in 2012 and has conducted extensive work in more than 30 states. Its major goal is to accelerate students’ successful completion of their first college-level math course while maintaining the academic rigor of those curricula, often accomplished through the use of “co-requisite” models of instruction. Earning credit in an entry-level math course is a critical milestone in degree or certificate completion, but national data show that less than 10 percent of students complete a college mathematics course within the first two years of college. 

The institutions selected for this initiative are a mixture of public universities (Missouri Western State University, Northwest Missouri State University, University of Central Missouri, and University of Missouri–Kansas City); private universities (Avila University and Central Methodist University); and community colleges (Metropolitan Community College, North Central Missouri College, and State Fair Community College). 

“These colleges and universities, and the Kansas City region as a whole, were selected for this important work in large part because of the extensive and successful efforts already underway in developing math pathways to support Missouri’s diverse student population,” said Dr. Martha Ellis, the Dana Center’s director of higher education strategy, policy, and services. “The mathematics pathways movement is very much focused on eliminating barriers and increasing opportunity for traditionally underserved students. We are very excited to be working in a state and with organizations that share in this vision for supporting more students for success.”

“We are thrilled to continue our collaborative work with the Dana Center on math pathways, and especially excited to expand our engagement with our P–12 colleagues,” said Dr. Rusty Monhollon, assistant commissioner for academic affairs at the Missouri Department of Higher Education. “This initiative will allow Missouri to continue to improve the effectiveness of postsecondary math education, which is a key component of our larger strategy to increase educational attainment and improve student success statewide, and, most significantly, decrease opportunity gaps for racial, ethnic, and other underserved populations.”

For more information, please contact: 
Erich Pelletier
Communications Coordinator, The Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin
epelletier@austin.utexas.edu