I'm new around here. My name is Karen and I'm currently a freeway flyer -
i.e. I teach part-time at one university and two community colleges. (Whew!)
I've been reading your posts for a couple of days. Considering how you all
treat potato salad, I'm not sure I'd want to picnic with you....... But I do
need some advice!
We (my community colleges) are having a serious problem with retention in our
Beginning and Intermediate Algebra classes! The capabilities (and efforts)
of these students is dropping rapidly and we want to somehow fix the problem
- i.e. we need to keep the students in these classes and get them to pass!
I find that the exams I'm giving in Intermediate are the same that I was
giving a mere three years ago in Beginning........ and the students still
aren't passing (ok, some of them are -- but half of them are not!)
I definitely don't feel that we should be making these classes easier just to
accommodate lazy or ill-prepared students........... so I need some ideas!!
1) I teach in Southern California...... Is everyone out there having this
problem?
2) Does anyone have any suggestions for me? (My department is having a big
meeting on this in a couple of weeks and I'd like to take some ideas in
with me.)
Thanks!
Karen
Orange Coast College
Golden West College
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