Texas Community Colleges Receive Major Recognition in Math Instruction

(Dallas) Five colleges were recognized in the 2018 Math Pathways Awards from a competitive field of 38 Texas community colleges considered for the distinguished recognition. The Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), the Texas Success Center (TSC), and the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) announced this honor at the 2018 Texas Pathways Institute in Dallas on Wednesday, November 14.

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.

“Texas community colleges are among the vanguard in a movement to redesign the way higher education serves the needs of students,” said Dr. Martha Ellis, director of higher education strategy, policy, and services at the Charles A. Dana Center at The

University of Texas at Austin. “Mathematics pathways are a critical element in preparing students to obtain their career goals and empower their future economic mobility. We celebrate the accomplishments of these colleges.”

Texas colleges and universities have been working to implement math pathways with the coordination of TACC, TSC, and the Dana Center. Along with curriculum and program implementation support, the Dana Center Mathematics Pathways have developed a set of principles to guide and inform colleges and universities in their efforts to begin offering courses within the math pathways model. According to these principles, math pathways-based college programs should provide:

1.  Multiple pathways with relevant and challenging mathematics content aligned to specific fields of study
2.  Acceleration that allows students to complete a college-level math course more quickly than in the traditional developmental math sequence
3.  Intentional use of strategies to help students develop skills as learners
4. Curriculum design and pedagogy based on proven practice.

Paris Junior College (Paris, Texas) was chosen to receive the Overall Exemplar award based on these principles and the college’s exceptional efforts in developing math pathways that meet all four goals.

The other Texas community colleges selected as 2018 Math Pathways Exemplars are:

Principle 1—Grayson College (Denison, Texas)
Principle 2—San Jacinto College (Pasadena, Texas)
Principle 3—McLennan Community College (Waco, Texas)
Principle 4—College of the Mainland (Texas City, Texas)

For more information, please contact:

Erich Pelletier
Communications Coordinator, The Charles A. Dana Center
The University of Texas at Austin
epelletier@austin.utexas.edu