Working Paper: Strategies for increasing success of students underprepared for math topics in Advanced Technology Education (ATE): Getting students into and through ATE programs of study in Community Colleges (W.C. Wiseley, 2014)

This is a working paper based on surveys of faculty in Advanced Technology Education programs and interviews with faculty who indicated innovative methods in helping students who came underprepared in Mathematics for the rigors of their ATE programs such as engineering or biotechnology. This was a piece of a larger study on ATE programs and ATE Centers funded by the NSF.

Effective Basic Skills Instruction: The Case for Contextualized Developmental Math. (W.C. Wiseley, 2011).
PACE Download link

Download the PDF from Dr. Chuck's site.

This Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) policy brief examines both the scarcity and the effectiveness of contextualized developmental math in the 110 public California Community Colleges (CCC) during the 2006-2007 academic year.  Also in the "Trackbacks" on the PACE website are links to other publications about the paper.

Recent research on students entering California community colleges found that less than one in ten students who enter at the basic arithmetic or pre-algebra math level successfully complete college-level math. Students entering at the next higher level of math (elementary algebra) are only slightly more likely to succeed in college-level math. Yet, college-level math skills are required for success in nearly all college programs including most occupationally-focused certificate programs. Overall, fewer than 20 percent of remedial math students who do not complete a college level math course earn a certificate, degree, or transfer to a four-year university within six years. Beginning in 2006, California community colleges, through changes in regulations designed to strengthen the core curriculum for the associate degree began to eliminate many occupationally-focused and “contextualized” math courses such as “Business Math” and “Technical Math for Airframe Mechanics.” These integrated courses often focus on the mathematics required in specific occupations, starting with basic arithmetic or pre-algebra and progressing into intermediate algebra topics, and have significantly higher success rates than traditional math courses. Unfortunately, the pressure for traditional academic courses has eliminated many of these contextualized courses, as they no longer meet the requirements for the associate degree. But the low success rates that are common in remedial math courses in the academic model mean that few students will be able to acquire the occupational skills necessary to complete an advanced occupational course, certificate, or degree.

Effectiveness of Contextual Basic Skill Math in California Community Colleges: A Working Paper. (W.C. Wiseley, 2010).

This working paper is made available as a summary of the talk presented at the Contextualized Teaching and Learning: A Faculty Institute in Preservation Park, Oakland, CA on November 18, 2010. 

The speech described a recent examination of the extent of contextualized formats for delivering basic skills math instruction, where academic skills are integrated into occupational content areas, in California Community Colleges and the effectiveness of those contextual courses. The talk described developmental education as a common part of higher education since the mid 18th century. The research presented found that while contextualizing basic skills math had a positive impact on retention, particularly for the progress and persistence of Black and Hispanic students, there is a continuing scarcity of these effective innovations in delivering Basic Skills instruction in the community colleges. This speech was intended to help basic skills practitioners, counselors, and college administrators understand the continuing challenges of basic skills and developmental education.  It calls for an expansion of those practices found to be effective in increasing student learning and retention.

Effectiveness of Contextual Approaches to Developmental Math in California Community Colleges. University of the Pacific. (W.C. Wiseley, 2009).

An examination of the extent and effectiveness of using contextualized formats for delivering basic skills instruction, where academic skills are integrated into occupational content areas, in California Community Colleges. The study found that while contextualizing basic skills math had a positive impact on retention, particularly for the progress and persistence for Black and Hispanic students, there is a continuing scarcity of these effective innovations in delivering Basic Skills instruction in the community colleges. This research is intended to help both basic skills practitioners and college administrators enhance basic skills and developmental education and expand those practices found to be effective in increasing student learning and retention.

Technical Skills Assessments:  California Community Colleges Response to USDE Proposed Gold, Silver, Bronze Guidelines for State Phase-in of Perkins IV Core Indicators 2S1 and 1P1.  Chancellor’ Office, California Community Colleges.  (W.C. Wiseley, 2007).

Regulation, Interpretation, and Access in California Community Colleges.  Working Paper. (W.C.Wiseley, 2006)

Student Learning Outcomes: Practitioners Perspectives. Occasional Paper (W.C. Wiseley, 2006)

This paper describes practitioner perspectives of efforts to include student learning outcomes in mandated accountability by both state and federal governing bodies and regional accrediting entities. Most educators agree that institutions should be accountable for the success of their students, but while some have embraced SLOs, others see these mandates as an intrusion into the realm of teaching. This occasional paper reports qualitative research on those efforts.

SLO adoption and communication channels. Occasional Paper (W.C. Wiseley, August 2005)

This paper analyzes how the Western Association of Schools and Colleges revised standards for accrediting California Community Colleges (CCC) were affected.  The analysis uses aspects of Roger's theory of innovation to explain the different rates of adoption and the likelihood of those changes being sustained within the adopting colleges within the CCC system. The revised standards focus all aspects of accreditation on Student Learning Outcomes. Efforts to bring structural change in CCC that would meet the revised standards began in 2001 with a number of association and state sponsored workshops, institutes and training on developing and assessing student learning outcomes to improve teaching and learning. This occasional paper reports qualitative research on those efforts.

Smoothing Communication about new Accreditation Requirements. Occasional Paper (W.C. Wiseley, May 2005)

This paper describes practitioner perspectives of efforts to include student learning outcomes by regional accrediting entities and identifies ways in which opposition can be channeled into constructive discourse and implementation,  This occasional paper reports qualitative research on those efforts.

Credentials Count: How California’s Community Colleges Help Parents Move from Welfare to Self-Sufficiency (chapter 7 in Shut Out: Low Income Mothers and Higher Education in Post-Welfare America. Polakow & Butler (Eds.)). State University of New York Press. (A. Mathur, J. Reichle, J. Strawn, and W.C. Wiseley; 2004)

From Jobs to Careers: How California Community College Credentials Pay Off For Welfare Participants. Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, DC, (A. Mathur, J. Reichle, J. Strawn and W.C. Wiseley; 2004)

Collecting Data for Special Populations, Chancellor’ Office, California Community Colleges. (W.C. Wiseley, 2002)

Credentials Count:  How California’s Community Colleges Help Parents Move from Welfare to Self-sufficiency. Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, DC, (A. Mathur, J. Reichle, J. Strawn and W.C. Wiseley; 2002)

Post College Earnings of Former Students of California Community Colleges: Methods, Analysis, and Implications, Research in Higher Education, v.40(1) (J. Sanchez, F. Laanan and W.C. Wiseley; 1999)

 AFDC Students in the California Community Colleges 1992-93. California State University at Sacramento. (W.C. Wiseley, 1998)

This study investigated whether vocational education of short duration in California Community Colleges was a vehicle for economic mobility for female welfare recipients of the early 1990s.  Data from the CA Community Colleges Management Information System, the CA Department of Social Services, and CA Employment Development Division was used to determine whether long term economic benefits were available to graduates of vocational education programs of differing lengths in the CCC.

 Collaborative Administrative Record Matching. New Directions for Community Colleges, No.104 (W.C. Wiseley, 1998)