CSU Freshmen Are Better Prepared for Mathematics

April 27, 2009

More freshmen entering California State University, Sacramento, are ready to tackle college-level mathematics than were freshman five years ago. The likely reason is California's Early Assessment Program, introduced in 2004, which helps the state's high school juniors gauge their readiness for college-level mathematics and English.

Researcher Michal Kurlaender (University of California, Davis) noted, "This is perhaps the best part of the story: Students and high schools appear to be using the information from the Early Assessment Program to act in the senior year of high school."

Kurlaender and co-investigators Jessica Howell (CSU) and Eric Grodsky (University of Minnesota) found that in 2008-2009, 4% fewer CSU (or Sacramento State) freshman had to take remedial mathematics classes. The decline, moreover, did not appear to be the result of more unprepared high school graduates opting out of college, the researchers reported. Across the 23-campus CSU system, a 4% reduction would equal about 2,000 fewer students taking remedial mathematics courses. Historically, each year more than 60% of the 40,000 CSU freshmen have needed remedial work in mathematics or English.

"The Early Assessment Program is a really important and novel educational intervention because it provides students with information and empowers them to better prepare themselves for success in college," Kurlaender claimed.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in San Diego.

Source: University of California, Davis, April 17, 2009.