A Mixed Methods Approach to the Effectiveness of Corequisite Developmental Mathematics Classes

The purpose of this mixed method study is to determine the effectiveness of the corequisite model on collegiate mathematics developmental education. Corequisite models are designed to allow students who place into pre-college level courses to complete the prerequisite material and college-level coursework simultaneously in their first semester. Traditionally, especially at open-access institutions like many of our nation's community colleges, students placed into developmental courses, are often charged full tuition to repeat coursework already completed in high school, wasting both time and money for the student. In this accelerated model, students who need remediation receive "just-in-time" delivery of remedial content, often from the same instructor as the college-level class they are enrolled in. This saves the student from having to face a long sequence of developmental courses and the challenges of re-enrolling in multiple semesters. The primary research question to compare how corequisite students' feelings about the subject matter differ from their peers who took a traditional developmental math sequence and if this approach helps close the achievement gaps between racial groups in mathematics. Developmental classes, which were originally designed to help underprepared students succeed in college, have become a substantial academic and financial barrier for students, especially those from historically underrepresented categories and corequisite course can hopefully fulfill that original purpose with more equitable and favorable results.