Gateway Course Grades and Student SuccessDiversity Data Deep Dive

November 8, 2019

Peter M RadcliffeDirector of Undergraduate Analytics, Twin Cities

Office of Undergraduate Education

The “Gateway” Courses

• “college credit–bearing and/or developmental education courses that enroll large numbers of students and have high rates of Ds, Fs, withdrawals, and incompletes”

• “high-enrollment courses that have historically resulted in high rates of Ds, Fs, Withdrawals, and Incompletes especially for low-income, first-generation and historically underrepresented students”

• John Gardner Institute “Improving Teaching, Learning, Equity, and Success in Gateway Courses”

Office of Undergraduate Education 3

Office of Undergraduate Education

Gateway Courses Working GroupBackground

The Board of Regents has shifted increasing attention to student success in largeenrollment, foundational courses. For this reason, the Strategic Enrollment ManagementCommittee charged a working group to analyze data and current practice and makerecommendations in this area.

ChargeThis working group had several aims as part of its charge:1. Review existing data to gain a broader understanding of gateway courses at UMTC2. Identify barriers to student success in gateway courses3. Identify gaps, trends, and/or ideas to enhance student success in gateway courses4. Connect with appropriate committees to participate in this conversation (data, mid-term

alert, learning support network)5. Recommend innovative and comprehensive strategies to enhance student success

Office of Undergraduate Education

Gateway Course Committee Key Findings

1. Average DFW rates obscure important differences in student populations at risk

2. Across fields (chemistry, computer science, math and philosophy) students at risk have challenges in basic algebraic thinking

3. Course placement impacts student success4. Student support (in and out of the classroom) could be improved5. Changes in pedagogy are having a positive impact on student success

Office of Undergraduate Education

Gateway Courses with Highest DFNW Rates: 2014-15 to 2018-19

20.16%21.29%21.33%21.40%21.57%

22.09%22.14%22.20%22.54%22.94%23.15%23.30%

25.42%25.74%

26.42%26.74%

27.36%28.92%

29.84%30.28%

0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00%

ECON 3101 Intermediate MicroeconomicsMATH 2283 Sequences, Series, Foundations

CHEM 2101 Intro Analytical ChemistryCHEM 1061 Chem Prin I

CSCI 1113 Intro to C/C++ANAT 3601 Principles of Human Anatomy

PHYS 2201 Thermodynamics & Stat PhysicsCHEM 2301 Organic Chemistry I

MATH 1142 Short CalculusCSCI 1933 Intro Algs & Data Str.

CSCI 2021 Machine Architecture and OrgANAT 3611 Principles of Human AnatomyMATH 1031 College Algebra & Probability

MATH 2243 Lin Alg & Diff EqsMATH 1272 Calculus IIMATH 1271 Calculus I

CSCI 1103 Intro to JavaCSCI 1133 Intro to Programming Concepts

PHIL 1001 Intro to LogicCHEM 1015 Intro Chem: Lecture

Office of Undergraduate Education

Gateway Courses with Highest DFNW Rates: 2014-15 to 2018-19

28.52%

16.67%

26.52%

26.75%

27.19%

23.01%

20.60%

17.83%

20.65%

26.92%

40.68%

32.21%

38.83%

33.01%

25.87%

41.18%

30.99%

36.78%

42.31%

52.28%

0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%

PHIL 1001 Intro to Logic

CSCI 1133 Intro to Programming Concepts

MATH 1271 Calculus I

MATH 1272 Calculus II

MATH 2243 Lin Alg & Diff Eqs

MATH 1031 College Algebra & Probability

CSCI 2021 Machine Architecture and Org

CSCI 1933 Intro Algs & Data Str.

MATH 1142 Short Calculus

CHEM 1015 Intro Chem: Lecture

NAS

NHS

FirstGen

SOC

White

Office of Undergraduate Education

Twin Cities Domestic Degree-Seeking Undergraduate Headcount Enrollment by Student of Color, Pell Recipient, and 1st Generation Status, Fall 2019

Pell Only 1,314 (4.2%)

SOC Only3,632 (11.6%)

1st Gen Only2,846 (9.1%)

SOC & Pell669 (2.1%)

1st Gen & Pell841 (2.7%)

SOC & 1st Gen1,730 (5.5%)

SOC, Pell& 1st Gen

1,745 (5.6%)

White or UnknownNot First Generation

Not Pell Eligible15,971 (50.9%)

All International2,619 (8.3%)

Office of Undergraduate Education

Twin Cities Campus New Freshman (NHS) Percent with DFNW Grades and Four-Year Graduation

Rates by Number of DFNW Grades in First Year: Fall 2012 to Fall 2014 Cohorts

Percent One or More D/F/N/W Grade

42.0% 42.0% 41.9%

28.4%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%

Students of

Color

Pell

Recipients

First

Generation

None of

These

% With DFNW

4yr Grad Rate by First Year D/F/N/W Count

82.2%

62.5%

50.8%

38.9%

14.9%

6.3%8.7%

0.0%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

SOC Pell First Gen None

Office of Undergraduate Education

Twin Cities Campus New Freshman (NHS) Percent with DFNW Grades and Six-Year Graduation Rates by Number of DFNW Grades in First Year: Fall 2010 to Fall 2012 Cohorts

Percent One or More D/F/N/W Grade

44.3% 42.8%40.7%

27.2%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

50.0%

Students ofColor

PellRecipients

FirstGeneration

None ofThese

% With DFNW

6yr Grad Rate by First Year D/F/N/W Count

91.2%

79.6%

64.2%

52.6%

24.5%17.8%

14.3%

5.7%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+

SOC Pell First Gen None

Office of Undergraduate Education

Twin Cities Campus Domestic New Transfer (NAS) Percent with DFNW Grades and Three-Year Graduation Rates by Number of DFNW Grades in First Year: Fall 2013 to Fall 2015 Cohorts

Percent One or More D/F/N/W Grade57.6%

54.3%50.6%

41.4%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Students ofColor

PellRecipients

FirstGeneration

None ofThese

% With DFNW

3yr Grad Rate by First Year D/F/N/W Count

81.6%

61.6%

39.4%

29.5%

7.4%12.2%

2.3%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

0 1 2 3 4 5 6+SOC Pell First Gen None

Office of Undergraduate Education

Twin Cities Campus Domestic New Transfer (NAS) Percent with DFNW Grades and Four-Year Graduation Rates by Number of DFNW Grades in First Year: Fall 2012 to Fall 2014 Cohorts

Percent One or More D/F/N/W Grade57.4%

54.6%51.1%

41.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Students ofColor

PellRecipients

FirstGeneration

None ofThese

% With DFNW

4yr Grad Rate by First Year D/F/N/W Count

89.4%

76.5%

54.3%45.2%

19.7%19.6% 16.3%

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%

100.0%

0 1 2 3 4 5 6+SOC Pell First Gen None

Office of Undergraduate Education

Student Success

Placement Testing

Teaching Innovation

Mid-Term Alerts

Learning Support

Referrals

Data Analytics

Supporting Students in Gateway Courses

Office of Undergraduate Education

Gateway Course Committee Recommendations and Associated Findings• Finding 1: Get nuanced student-success information from the dashboard

into the hands of those who can act on it locally.

• Finding 2: Analyze STEM preparedness of incoming transfer students.

• Finding 3: Require all students who are enrolling in Chemistry to take the placement module.

• Findings 2 and 3: Consider requiring transfer students with credit to take the placement exam in Math as well.

• Finding 3: Provide and promote appropriate gateway course choice for all students.

• Finding 4: Develop a plan to improve in and out of class student support for gateway courses

• Finding 5: Develop multi-pronged approaches to improve/update gateway course pedagogy

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