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Rob Price, Director of Marketing
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Making up a constellation of dedication, ability, and innovation are five math faculty “stars” whose project is the SMCC Innovation of the Year for 2006-2007.
Math STAR Camp – the program of
Helen Smith, Brian Karasek, Teresa Leyba Ruiz, Ann Lindner, and
Ranjita Saha – will compete with projects from each of the Maricopa Community Colleges for the final Districtwide Innovation of the Year Award. That award will be announced later this spring.
Math STAR Camp is a review workshop designed to prepare students for the college mathematics placement test. Students entering college must take a placement test and then are assigned a math class commensurate with their skills. STAR is short for “Study and Review.”
Area High School Students Benefit
Participants are from SMCC “feeder” high schools, which include South Mountain and Cesar Chavez, as well as schools in the Tempe Union High School District.
The math faculty started the program in January 2004 (as Math Boot Camp). Twenty-one students participated, 19 of whom took the COMPASS placement test. About 60 students have participated in Math STAR Camp so far.
Of that number, about 90 percent subsequently took the placement test: COMPASS, ASSET, or Accuplacer. An amazing 80 percent were able to enroll in intermediate algebra or higher.
Camp involves 24 hours of content review from beginning and intermediate algebra, test-taking skills, placement test, and academic advising. It is is offered for eight days, three hours each day.
Outstanding Results
Results have been outstanding: many students are able to bypass developmental (pre-college) math courses and successfully complete college-level math courses.
The five faculty members were involved in the creation of the workshop and have taught the program. Math STAR Camp classes have been offered prior to fall and spring semesters; each year, at least two faculty members are involved in the revision of materials and teaching of the Math STAR Camps.
“It appeared that a large number of students were being placed into developmental math courses,” according to Teresa.
Many of these students had taken three or more years of math in high school – enough math to, presumably, be placed in college-level classes. The SMCC math faculty believed that these students needed intensive review and preparation for the placement test rather than a full-semester of developmental classes.
Taking pre-college-level classes means that students must invest more time and money on the path to graduation, she noted.
Benefits to Future and Self-Esteem
“The obvious benefit of accurately placing a student into a math course that is congruent with their skill level is often mistaken as the reason for the support of Math STAR Camp,” Teresa says. “However, an equally positive benefit is to the student’s self-esteem. Imagine the frustration of knowing that you have the ability to succeed but, due to a single test instrument, your advancement is barred.
She adds: “Research has shown that several factors affect the placement of students -- from not being aware of the placement test requirement to not studying for the test. Students have also indicated that they did not realize the impact the placement test would have on their course options.” Math Camp alleviates these issues, also.
“Knowledge of mathematics is a critical component that is continuously used as a gatekeeper for student advancement… Additionally, the study of mathematics is a great way to increase problem solving and critical thinking skills,” she concludes.
Math STAR Camp will be offered twice during the summer 2007 session: June 4-14 (NC500 0012) from 4 to 7 pm and July 16 - 26 (NC 0014) from 9 am to Noon. The courses are non-credit and cost is $20.