I say this because I would not want to read all that (we are all pretty
busy) if I was predisposed to help a colleague, but I'd be afraid not to
in case I missed some major point. Result: Indecision; place on
to-do-in-the-future pile.
Irene.Duranczyk@emich.edu writes:
>Dear Colleague,
>
>Because of the autonomy of the higher education system in Michigan,
>information on special programs for underprepared college students is
>fragmented, at best. Because graduation requirements in Mathematics vary
>throughout the state, there is an uneven mathematics preparation for
>entering
>freshman in all Michigan colleges and universities.
>There are some surveys of developmental mathematics' programs, which
>include
>Michigan colleges and universities. The Michigan State Department of
>Education (1997) completed a survey of all community colleges regarding
>developmental education services. The National Center for Education
>Statistics (1995) compiled a survey of "Remedial Education at Higher
>Education
>Institutions" based on a sampling model. The National Center for
>Developmental Education has compiled a variety of surveys of
>developmental
>mathematics. None of these resources give a clear picture of the extent
>of
>underprepared mathematics students in Michigan colleges and universities.
>
>None clearly address issues of staffing patterns, retention, and student
>success.
>Presentations and research conducted by members of the Michigan
>Mathematics
>Association of America during the 1997-1998 academic year have encouraged
>us.
>There is interest and commitment to obtaining comprehensive data on
>developmental mathematics in the state.
>After studying the data and reviewing the documents identified above, we
>have
>compiled the following short yet extremely important survey. These are
>statistical questions that will give us the information necessary to work
>as a
>state to improve the quality of math education. As you read the survey,
>you
>will see that it may entail asking your institutional records department
>to
>assist you. We are hoping that you will cooperate because the data will
>be
>compiled and published for you. In addition, we will be able to do some
>comparison between developmental math education in Michigan and
>developmental
>math education in the rest of the nation.
>The information that you send us will be entirely confidential.
>Reporting of
>the survey results will not identify any institution. We will use random
>order for reporting results by two-year and four-year institutions. You
>will
>be able to see how your institution lines up with other Michigan colleges
>and
>universities. You will be able to use this information to advocate for
>institutional changes and/or rest assured that your programs in headed in
>the
>right direction. Staffing patterns, enrollment trends, retention, and
>success
>data in Michigan can enlighten all of us as to the impact of
>developmental
>mathematics in Michigan.
>We hope that you will be just as excited about this survey as we are. We
>hope
>that you will be able to compile this information within the next two
>weeks so
>that before the holidays begin, the data will be in. We will be crunching
>numbers as you prepare for 1999. We greatly appreciate your support in
>this
>endeavor. We know that we are all over extended in the provision of
>services
>to underprepared students. We can only lighten our load by getting a
>clearer
>picture of the condition we are in and work together as a state to
>address the
>underlining concerns and problems. Please support your colleagues around
>the
>state --- collectively we can make a difference.
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