25 Institutional Partners Selected for Research into Student Success in Intro Math Courses

In an effort to boost student success in introductory math courses, 25 institutions have been selected to participate in a research project on student success in such courses. The association is undertaking the work in collaboration with the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU).

These universities will contribute anonymized student-level data to help identify patterns in introductory mathematics outcomes across participating APLU institutions. The research will explore outcomes such as rates of students earning Ds or Fs or withdrawing from gateway math courses and seek to identify patterns that may point to opportunities for improvement.

In parallel, the project will develop in-depth profiles of institutions that have demonstrated progress in improving gateway mathematics outcomes. These case studies will examine reform strategies, implementation processes, lessons learned, and evidence of impact at Colorado School of Mines, Florida International University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The case-study institutions were identified through nominations from APLU, UERU, TPSE Math leadership, advisory partners, and experts in mathematics education reform.

Participating institutions will come together for a convening in January, where they’ll have an opportunity to hear preliminary insights from the research, learn from institutions undertaking promising reforms, and participate in facilitated discussions about how institutions can use data to inform and advance meaningful mathematics reform on their own campuses.

This approach reflects APLU’s broader role in supporting institutional improvement through research, the exchange of effective practices, and the convening of universities around shared challenges. By looking across institutions rather than examining campuses individually, the project aims to help the field identify cross-cutting challenges and approaches that could improve gateway mathematics outcomes at scale. Together, quantitative research, institutional case studies, and convening will contribute to the development of an open-access collection of research, tools, resources, and examples designed to help colleges and universities assess challenges in gateway mathematics and implement and sustain effective reforms.

The work is being undertaken in conjunction with Project EMBER, a national effort to help higher education students succeed in mathematics in ways aligned with their personal and professional aspirations. APLU is a key partner and collaborator with Transforming Postsecondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE Math) on the initiative. The effort is funded by the Gates Foundation.

For more information about this initiative and APLU’s growing portfolio of mathematics reform projects, contact Dr. Megan Tesene at mtesene@aplu.org.

The 25 institutions selected for the research cohort are:

• Alabama A&M University
• University of California, Irvine
• University of California, Merced
• Clemson University
• George Mason University
• University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
• University of Idaho
• Indiana University Bloomington
• University of Maryland, College Park
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Missouri-Kansas City
• University of Nebraska at Omaha
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• Northern Illinois University
• University of Oregon
• Penn State University
• Portland State University
• Rutgers University–New Brunswick
• Temple University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas State University
• University of Texas at San Antonio
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Western Michigan University
• University of Wisconsin–Madison