An innovative approach to math placement advising for student success

Mount Hood Community College (MHCC) received a $499,999 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. This award funds the development and implementation of an innovative math placement and support model designed to improve student success in mathematics at the community college level. Rather than relying solely on standardized test scores for placement decisions, MHCC will establish a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that considers student background, experience, and agency while incorporating current perspectives on knowledge and skill development.

The project will deliver a multi-pronged intervention strategy encompassing strategic assessment practices, optimized math placement procedures, in-class support services, navigation and coordination of wraparound services, professional development for faculty and advisors, and initiatives to strengthen students' institutional connection and mathematical competence. The sustainable model targets students initially placed in developmental mathematics courses and addresses barriers to student progress in STEM fields. This comprehensive approach builds an integrated ecosystem of support services intended to optimize outcomes for students beginning their academic and career pathways at the community college.

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by addressing student success in mathematics as they begin their academic and career interests at community college. Recognizing that many students begin their academic programs with the requirement to enroll in developmental mathematics on the almost sole basis of a test score, this project intends to develop and examine an innovative approach to math placement. Based on the literature on reforming math placement and the results of a pilot study, the project team intends to advance an approach that addresses and investigates the complexities associated with math placement. Recent research suggests that improvement in the construction and technical aspects of placement exams is not sufficient for appropriate placement and points to evidence that this approach can maintain or exacerbate barriers to student success and progress in stem. The project team intends to enhance and examine an innovative approach to developmental mathematics reform that builds an ecosystem of activities based on student background, experience and agency, as well as current perspectives on fostering the development of knowledge and skills. This approach is intended to optimize and advance positive outcomes for students who are initially placed in developmental math and offers opportunities and support for success. The primary goal of the project is to establish a sustainable, evidenced-based math placement and support model tailored to meet the developmental and instructional needs of students. Through this work, mount hood community college (mhcc) will enhance student success by implementing strategic assessment, optimized placements, in-class support, navigation for wraparound services, professional development for faculty and advisors, and efforts to foster students' connection to the institution and competence in mathematics. Key elements of this multi-pronged multi-measures approach to math placement are the math placement advisor and the use of the myopenmath self-assessment for math preparedness. To provide additional infrastructure, the project team intends to establish a partnership between the math program and developmental and remedial education. Building on the partnership, the mixed methods evaluation includes a set of coordinated methodologies, such as examination of institutional student records, surveys, focus groups and triangulation. The focus of the evaluation will be to document and examine the effects of project activities, implementation, and the collaboration between the math program and developmental/remedial education at the institution in affecting student success. Dissemination activities concentrate on regional and state venues, as well as other efforts to reach a national audience. The NSF iuse: innovation in two-year college stem education (ityc) program seeks to accelerate and advance knowledge about the impact of emerging and evidence-based practices in undergraduate education at two-year colleges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.