Large numbers of students entering community colleges are academically unprepared for college-level math. These students have historically been assigned to one or more non-credit-bearing courses for remedial, often called developmental, math instruction before they can take college-level courses. Research has found that most students assigned to traditional developmental math course sequences never complete those sequences or attain a credential. The Dana Center Mathematics Pathways (DCMP) model was created in 2011 to better support the needs of these students.
Specifically, it diversifies developmental and college-level math course content, separating it into distinct pathways that better align with students’ career interests. It also streamlines the developmental math sequence so students can move into college-level courses more quickly.
This brief from the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness highlights the findings from a rigorous long-term follow-up study of an early version of the DCMP model.