Changing the Equation: Redesigning Developmental Math

Facts at a Glance

Changing the Equation is a major program to engage the nation’s community colleges in a successful redesign of their remedial/developmental math sequences. Institutions participating in the program will improve student learning outcomes while reducing costs for both students and institutions using NCAT's proven redesign methodology. Collectively, these 38 redesigns will impact more than 120,000 students annually.

Each participant in Changing the Equation will

• redesign its entire developmental math sequence (all sections of all developmental courses offered);
• use NCAT's Emporium Model and commercially available instructional software;
• modularize the curriculum, allowing students to progress at a faster pace if possible or at a slower pace if necessary;
• improve student learning outcomes and student success rates;
• reduce instructional costs;
• pilot their redesign plans in spring 2011; and,
• fully implement their plans in fall 2011.

While all 38 projects share these goals, the following charts provide a summary of how they are alike and how they differ.

• Developmental Math Enrollment                                      
  A chart showing the total enrollment and number of sections offered in each institution’s traditional and redesigned course sequences.

• Courses and Modules
  A chart showing the total number of courses offered in each institution’s traditional and redesigned course sequences and the planned number of modules in the redesigned sequence.

• Emporium Model Variation
  A chart showing which version of the Emporium Model (fixed, flexible or fixed/flexible) has been chosen by each participating institution.

• Comparative Costs                                     
  A chart showing the cost of offering developmental math in the traditional (actual) and redesigned (projected) formats at participating institutions.

• Cost Reduction Strategies                                    
  A chart showing the cost reduction strategy chosen by each participating institution including changes in section size and in faculty load.

• Full-time/Part-time Ratios                                     
  A chart showing the number of sections taught by full-time and part-time faculty in the traditional (actual) and redesigned (projected) formats at participating institutions.

This project is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.