A $75,000 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is paving the way to math mastery for TCC students who need stronger skills in everything from arithmetic to algebra in order to pass a 3-hour math course required for an associate degree.
The grant is funding an expanded pilot program known as “Mod Math” (Modular Mathematics) –- a development initiative for students who score too low on placement tests to enter a college-level math course.
Mod Math is made up of a series of nine five-week courses designed to help students move from basics in arithmetic and pre-algebra to levels at which they can pass college algebra, according to Greta Harris-Hardland, math instructor and department chair at Northeast Campus and districtwide Mod Math project coordinator/evaluator.
Mod Math will use technology, tutors and other resources for students at the Northeast, Northwest, and South campuses, and Trinity River Campus, where the program is incorporated as the only math development program, Harris-Hardland said.
Many students’ math skills are underdeveloped, she said. “I’ve had students who have failed college algebra five times. There has got to be a change in how we’re presenting it.” Mod Math meets students at their skill level, she said, and facilitates success rather than exposing them to repeated attempts to learn math that’s beyond their reach.
Written by guest contributor David House