Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ph.D. Program: Arminda Wey, “A Study of the Impact High School Data has on Faculty Perspectives for Community College Mathematics Placement”
Accurate initial course placement plays a critical role in shaping students’ academic trajectories, particularly within the open-access environment of community colleges. This mixed-methods study examines the perspectives of community college mathematics faculty on the use of multiple measures (standardized test scores, high school coursework, and grades) in placement decision-making. Although reforms have promoted the use of multiple data points to enhance placement accuracy, the effectiveness of such approaches depends on how practitioners interpret and apply this information in real-world contexts. Multiple data points is assumed to improve placement accuracy, the utility of such information depends critically on its validity as an indicator of college readiness. This study seeks to illuminate faculty perceptions of these assessment tools and their implications for student success in community college mathematics pathways.
Faculty participants from a local community college will engage in simulated placement tasks involving student profiles presented under three distinct conditions, each varying in the types of academic information provided. For each scenario, participants determine course placement, indicate their confidence in the decision, and articulate the rationale behind their choices. Quantitative analysis of these decisions and confidence levels will follow to identify patterns in placement practices and perceived utility of different data types.
To further explore the contextual and experiential factors influencing decision-making, follow-up interviews are to be conducted with participants. These interviews yield qualitative data on faculty perceptions of college readiness, the usefulness and limitations of various placement indicators, and the implications of current placement practices for student success.
By centering the professional judgment and lived experience of mathematics faculty, this study seeks to bridge the gap between placement policy and classroom practice. Faculty insights offer a valuable, practitioner-informed perspective on the challenges and possibilities inherent in current reform efforts, such as the adoption of multiple measures and co-requisite models. Findings from this research aim to inform more effective and equitable placement strategies within community college mathematics pathways.