Supplemental instruction in developmental mathematics

Community College Enterprise, The, Spring 2006 by Phelps, Julie M, Evans, Ruby

Mirroring the changing demographics of the nation, the community college student population continues to grow in size and diversity. Almost half of all students who enter these institutions need at least one remedial course-which is often developmental mathematics. Developed in 1973, Supplemental Instruction (SI) has quickly gained recognition as an academic support program used to aid student performance, retention, and academic success. Still in its infancy, SI positively influences student achievement Preliminary findings from descriptive research at Valencia Community College, Orlando, Florida, encourage these researchers to further examine the utility of SI in creating a climate of achievement for learners in developmental mathematics courses.

Introduction

Community colleges continue to play an indispensable role in providing underrepresented populations access to higher education. Pioneers in "the paradigm shift from a focus on teaching to improvement of student learning" (Arendale, 1998) and in implementation of the learning college (O'Banion, 1997), these institutions face the daunting task of offering instruction in developmental courses to a growing number of students. Concurrently, in an age of accountability, community colleges are mindful of the ever present need to maintain academic standards and improve student retention. While perplexed by burgeoning enrollments, increasing student diversity, and limited resources, community colleges are simultaneously challenged to provide greater evidence of student achievement (Warren, 2003).

Since the formalized inception of American higher education at Harvard in 1636, postsecondary education has changed from serving an elite homogenous group of students (restricted by class, gender and race) to serving a more heterogeneous group (characterized by variation in student academic readiness) (Hodges, 2001). In the wake of these noticeable shifts in student demographics, community colleges have given considerable attention to multiculturalism and diversity as they correlate to retention and academic success for all students (Levin, 2000). Almost half of all students who enter these institutions need at least one remedial course (Schuetz, 2002), which is often mathematics. National data indicates that large numbers of students enrolling in two- or four-year institutions are underprepared in mathematics. Thus, having completed K-12 education, high school graduates and returning students are enrolling in Pre-Algebra, Beginning Algebra, and Intermediate Algebra, all of which are regarded as precollege level and/or college preparatory mathematics.

Historically, the community college has provided open access to diverse populations at relatively low cost (Harbour, Middleton, Lewis & Anderson, 2003). While "students 'at-risk' were at one time considered a special group needing specialized help, current definitions of the student 'at-risk,' however, describe the majority of students in American community colleges" (Perez, 1998, p. 63). In this setting, a fundamental part of the institution's founding mission is to explore retention strategies that sort, support, connect, and transform students (Perez, 1998). Thus, "at-risk" students will have greater probability of successfully matriculating on community college campuses without dilution in academic standards (Burmeister, 1996).

Over the years, numerous programs have been used to assist students having academic difficulties (Boylan, 1999; Simpson, Hynd, Nist & Burrell, 1997). Jarvi (1998) contended that academic support and assistance programs, while common on college and university campuses, have not always been warmly received. These programs, which are designed to increase the success rates of students, have included orientation seminars, tutorial sessions, discipline-specific help, learning assistance centers (LAC), learning labs, and/or individualized learning programs.

Adding to the list is a recent educational innovation, which originated in the early seventies-Supplemental Instruction (SI). Hodges (2001) remarked that "two of the more common forms of academic assistance available to students are tutoring and SI" (p. 2). Peer learning-"a generic term which refers to situations where students support each other in educational settings" (Ashwin, 2003, p. 159)-is becoming an increasingly useful and viable retention strategy. SI, a form of peer learning which targets high-risk courses, is a nationally recognized academic support program that has been used effectively to aid student performance, retention, and academic success (Martin & Arendale, 1993).

Supplemental Instruction (SI): an overview

Introduced by Deanna Martin in 1973 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, SI has been implemented at a variety of institutions, both domestically and internationally. David R. Arendale (2003), who has published extensively on the topic, provides an overview:

The Supplemental Instruction (SI) model of academic assistance helps students in historically difficult classes master content while they develop and integrate learning and study strategies. Goals of SI include: (1) improve student grades in targeted courses; (2) reduce the attrition rate within those courses; and (3) increase the eventual graduation rates of students. All students in a targeted course are urged to attend SI sessions, and students with varying ability levels participate. There is no stigma attached to SI since historically difficult courses rather than high risk students are targeted. SI can be implemented in one or more courses each semester.