Core Requirement 2.12

Report

Core Requirement:		2.12
		The institution has developed an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan and demonstrates that the plan is part of an ongoing planning and evaluation process.

Compliance Rating:	Not Applicable

Statement of Compliance: The University of Texas-Pan American has developed an acceptable Quality Enhancement Plan and demonstrates that the plan is part of an ongoing planning and evaluation process.

Narrative: The University of Texas-Pan American has selected a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) topic which has been titled Gear Up to Graduate: A Model for Success in Gatekeeper Mathematics Courses for Mexican American First Generation University Students.

The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) is a comprehensive, public coeducational institution located in Edinburg, Texas, close to the Mexican border and the Gulf of Mexico. UTPA endeavors to be a first class doctoral granting university and the educational leader for South Texas, addressing the expanding needs of a multicultural, metropolitan area by offering a broad spectrum of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, by maximizing access opportunities for qualified applicants, and by pursuing research and by providing professional services that emphasize the economic development, education advancement, health improvement, environmental protection, and cultural confluence of the international borderland.

The institution first opened in 1927 as Edinburg College, a two-year community college governed by the Edinburg School District. In 1933, the institution was approved by the State Department of Education, designated a First Class Junior College by the Association of Texas Colleges, became a member of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools of Southern States, and was renamed Edinburg Junior College. In 1947, Edinburg Junior College began offering classes at night and at off-campus locations in neighboring towns. The following year, the name was changed to Edinburg Regional College as the school was separated from the Edinburg School District and began receiving partial state support. On December 20, 1951, the voters of Hidalgo County approved the establishment of a four-year college, Pan American College, to serve the educational needs of the region. The name Pan American College was selected because it reflected the institution�s desire to bridge the cultures of North and South America and to reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the University.

Pan American College became part of the Texas System of Colleges and Universities on September 1, 1963. A two-year transition period was provided during which the school passed from partial state support to full state assistance, control, and ownership. In 1965, the college officially became the 22nd state-supported senior institution in Texas. In the late 1960s, Pan American College responded to increasing requests to provide graduate-level work, and by 1970, the school had received approval to offer graduate instruction in the arts, education, and science. To reflect the increased range of studies available, the name of the school was changed to Pan American University on September 1, 1971. Pan American University began to offer courses in Brownsville in 1973 to better serve the citizens of Cameron County and the Lower Rio Grande Valley. A few years later, the Pan American University Board of Regents created Pan American University at Brownsville, which is now a separate university.

The greatest change in recent years was the University�s merger on September 1, 1989, with The University of Texas System, renaming the school The University of Texas-Pan American. The historic event culminated two years of study, hearings, discussions, and negotiations involving regents, legislators, faculty, students, alumni, and the community. With the addition of Pan American University, The University of Texas System gained a window on eastern Mexico and a strong presence in one of the fastest-growing regions of the state. To its advantage, UTPA gained the participation and support of the UT System and its components in expanding the academic opportunities offered to its students. In 1994, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) approved a doctoral program, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in educational leadership. UTPA now offers a Pharmacy degree in cooperation with The University of Texas at Austin. UTPA has continued to broaden its curriculum, adding baccalaureate, master, and doctoral degree programs. Today, it is the 10^th largest of the state�s 35 senior institutions.

UTPA has one of the largest enrollments of Hispanic students among four-year colleges and universities in the United States. About 86 percent of the undergraduate students are Mexican-American, reflecting the demographic characteristics of the immediate region, the Rio Grande Valley. In May 2004, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education reported that UTPA is second in the nation in the number of bachelor degrees awarded to Hispanics and first in the State of Texas. Enrollment in fall 2005 was 17,048. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board predicted the University would have a fall enrollment of 23,076 students by the year 2010.

UTPA is organized into six academic colleges: Arts and Humanities, Business Administration, Education, Health Sciences and Human Services, Science and Engineering, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. These academic units offer a wide range of degree options encompassing a comprehensive series of academic concentrations and selected areas of professional study. Currently, the University offers 54 undergraduate degrees, 50 master�s degrees, and 2 doctoral degrees and is continuing its institutional evolution, driven by its vision of serving the South Texas region as a doctoral university and educational leader. To these ends, the University is pursuing three main goals: to improve student access and success, to be a state leader in the preparation and production of public school teachers, and to become the doctoral research university of South Texas.

Statement of Need

The following information supports the need for the topic developed in the QEP:


1.	Mexican Americans are more under-represented in higher education than any other ethnic group. [Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, (2000). The increasing presence of Hispanics and Hispanic serving institutions (on-line) Available: http://www.hacu.net ]

2.	Mexican Americans are less likely to complete a college degree than any other ethnic group in the United States. [Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, (2000), The increasing presence of Hispanics and Hispanic serving institutions (on-line) Available: http://www.hacu.net ]

3.	Mexican-American college students who are the first in their families to attend college have an especially low rate of college enrollment and a very low rate of college completion. [Pike, Gary R., & Kuh, George D. (2005). First- and second-generation college students: A comparison of their engagement and intellectual development. The Journal of Higher Education. 76, 276-300]

4.	One of the most important factors keeping Mexican American college students from enrolling in college and from completing it when they do is the math difficulty many experience. [National Assessment of Educational Progress, (2004), Nations Report Card, Mathematics, Education Government]

5.	At UTPA, where Mexican Americans make up over 80 percent of the 17,000 students, the completion rate is only about 25 percent.

6.	One of the greatest factors standing in the way of college completion for the 75 percent of Mexican American students at UTPA who fail to complete their college education is the mathematics �gatekeeper� courses as evidenced by the following statistics from the fall of 2004: 55 percent of students enrolled in Math 1334 failed to pass the course 40 percent of students enrolled in Math 1300 failed to pass the course 40 percent of students enrolled in Math 1340 failed to pass the course
7.	These failure rates increase dramatically for students identified as �First generation,� those who are the first in their family to enroll in college. Failure rates for first generation students in fall 2004 are as follows: 72 percent of Gen. 1 students enrolled in Math 1334 failed to pass the course 86 percent of Gen. 1 students enrolled in Math 1300 failed to pass the course 71 percent of Gen. 1 students enrolled in Math 1340 failed to pass the course
8.	Even more discouraging for most of these students is the lack of success in future math attempts as significant numbers fail in subsequent tries. For example, in fall 2004, 24 percent of students who re-enrolled in Math 1334 failed again to pass the course 18 percent of students who re-enrolled in Math 1300 failed again to pass the course 19 percent of students who re-enrolled in Math 1340 failed again to pass the course
[UTPA data cited in 5, 6, 7, and 8 came from the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs]

Goals and Objectives

Goal: To increase student achievement in MATH 1300, 1334, and 1340 so that 100% of students are successful.

Objective 1: After completing MATH 1300, Elementary Algebra, all students will:

Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the real numbers, the basic operations and their properties, basic operations with algebraic expressions, order of operations, and be able to translate algebraic expressions into English phrases, and from English phrases into algebraic expressions.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of combining like terms; use the addition-subtraction property; the multiplication-division property of equalities and inequalities; and several combinations of these properties to solve linear equations and inequalities; and use ratios, proportion, and percent in problem solving.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the formulas (geometric and others) which can be used to transform word problems into equations, and solving application problems involving geometry, motion, and mixture.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Cartesian coordinate system, graphing linear equations, the slope of the line, and solve the system of two linear equations in two variables.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the properties of exponents, use of scientific notation, and addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of polynomials.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of factoring by the distributive property, by grouping, factoring the difference of two squares, factoring of trinomials, solving quadratic equations using the factoring method and application problem solving.

Objective 2: After completing MATH 1334, Intermediate Algebra, all students will:

Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of factoring quadratic expressions by using a variety of methods.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of simplifying rational expressions involving the basic operations of rational expressions and complex fractions, solve rational equations, and solve application problems containing rational expressions.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of applying the laws of radicals to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of expressions involving radicals, solve the equations containing one radical and two radicals.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of complex numbers and perform the basic operations involving complex numbers, solve quadratic equations by technique of completing the square, by quadratic formula, and solving application problems.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the properties and techniques for solving simple and compound inequalities and solving problems involving inequalities.

Objective 3: After completing MATH 1340, College Algebra, all students will:

Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the mathematical characterization of relationships (functions, equations, and inequalities included) and how mathematics provides structures for critical thinking, disciplined inquiry, and the formulation of discoveries and applications to real-world situations.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the mathematical concept of function, the essentials regarding domains, correspondences, and ranges; and how to perform addition, subtraction multiplication, division, composition, and inversion of functions, which are basic operations in the algebra of functions.
Be able to demonstrate facility with multiple representations of algebraic relationships by coordinating the use of formulas, graphs, tables, verbal descriptions, and appropriate technology, noting interconnections and providing translations between these different modes of representation.
Be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relationships expressed through systems of equations and inequalities, and an assortment of functions - linear and nonlinear, absolute value, greatest integer, exponential, logarithmic, polynomial, and rational - which are essential for mathematical modeling and problem solving in real-world situations.
Be able to demonstrate an understanding of complex numbers and how they extend the real number system to provide roots for certain types of equations, and that complex numbers constitute the highest order characterization for the concept of number with the system of complex numbers including all of the other subsystems of numbers - real, rational, integers, whole numbers, and natural numbers.
Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the strengths and limitations of mathematically-expressed models (e.g., simple and compound interest, law of gravity).
Be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the contributions of mathematics to exceptional accomplishments in the sciences and humanities.

Intervention/Implementation Plan

In order to look at different intervention strategies, a call for proposals went out to the university community to come up with ways to address the lack of academic success for Mexican-American first generation students in gatekeeper mathematics classes. The QEP Subcommittee on Intervention and Implementation, a non-partisan group of interdisciplinary faculty, was appointed to review the 13 proposals received and to select those proposals that had the best intervention strategies. The subcommittee considered all 13 proposals and created a synthesis for intervention and implementation based on the following three proposals:

Enhancing Mathematics Achievement (EMA) Project by J.E.T. Bernard, O.M. Ramirez, and M.C. Villalobos
Research-Based Instructional Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement in Developmental Mathematics by K. Watt and A. Pankake
WeBWork: Adaptation and Implementation of a Universal Online Homework System with Local Support by A. Balogh

The selected interventions are the following:

	I	Enhancing Student Support;
	II	Enhancing Curriculum; and
	III	Enhancing Professional Development.

The following strategies will be implemented to support the above listed interventions.

Enhancing Student Support
1. Project EMA
  1. Utilization of Student Teaching Assistants (STAs). The STAs will attend all class lectures, assist with discussion sessions (4^th hour), and grade procedural homework and quizzes.
  2. Relational and Collaborative learning. This strategy will focus on THECB Exemplary Objectives such as representations and connections to other disciplines.
  3. 4^th hour Discussion Sessions. Students will meet one hour per week and work in collaborative groups on worksheets using relational learning strategies, etc.
  4. Intensive Tracking of Students
         a). Monitoring of assignments and test performances
         b). Mandatory attendance and assignments
                    1) Homework assignments will be checked for procedural steps
                    2) The on-line based method for delivering and grading homework, WeBWork, will be utilized
  5. Modified Early Warning System. This system will require status reports of students halfway through each module.
2. Balogh
  1. The QEP proposal is also supplemented with enhancements as described in the proposal WeBWork: Adaptation and Implementation of a Universal Online Homework System with Local Support.
    1. Give regular mathematics homework assignments through WeBWork with graded homework counted toward the final [semester] grade (also proposed by EMA Project).
    2. Arrange mathematics problems in WeBWork by topic or according to the mathematics book sections used in the Department of Mathematics.
    3. Design a place where students can log in anonymously and practice problem solving without obtaining an official grade.
    4. Training for assistants that will help manage WeBWork.
    5. Consult with instructors to develop homework assignments [or develop new mathematics problems].
3. Other. QEP Subcommittee on Intervention and Implementation also recommends
  1. LAC Mathematics Tutors
    1. AVID tutorial process implemented in the LAC for mathematics tutors and mathematics students seeking tutoring
    2. Attend class lectures
    3. Complete some homework problems and post solutions online upon approval by STA
  2. STAs (from EMA)
    1. Take notes in lectures and post notes online
    2. Review homework solutions completed by LAC tutor
Enhancing Curriculum
1. EMA
  1. Modular curriculum structure - The curriculum will be structured with three modules per course. The three modules will run parallel and cover 1/3 of the material.
  2. Discussion sessions
  3. Relational learning
  4. Uniform standards (Common exams, homework, worksheets)
2. Watt and Pankake
  1. The QEP proposal incorporates ideas from the proposal titled Research-Based Instructional Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement in Developmental Mathematics by K. Watt and A. Pankake.
    1. Train mathematics instructors and STAs (from EMA Project) in the AVID Tutorial Process.
    2. Provide AVID training for Mathematics instructors and STAs.
Enhancing Professional Development
1. EMA
  1. Training of STA�s
  2. Professional Development for Instructors - There will be a two day training held prior to the beginning of the semester; relational learning will be discussed during the training.
2. Pankake and Watt
  1. Train mathematics instructors and STAs in AVID Tutorial Process; instructors to attend part of the training
3. Other. QEP Subcommittee on Intervention and Implementation proposes the following ideas:
  1. Train LAC Mathematics Tutors in AVID Tutorial Process - Training is done for LAC mathematics tutors since LAC provides tutors for MATH 1300, 1334, and 1340 courses
4. Other.
  1. Train Mathematics instructors in Collaborative Learning by providing a workshop for this group (a total of 40 hours).

Research Design

The Quality Enhancement Plan will include a research design that will enable researchers to measure the effectiveness of the QEP interventions. The following is an outline of the QEP research design.

The first year plan for the QEP will see eight modularized sections of MATH courses 1300 (3 sections), 1334 (three sections), and 1340 (two sections). First Generation students will be randomly assigned to each section. This will result in approximately 24 students per MATH course, totaling 192 students. These will be the experimental groups who will receive the QEP interventions. Eight sections of MATH courses 1300, 1334, and 1340, also composed of randomly selected First Generation students, will serve as the control groups (approximately 192 students), and a similar number of students will be randomly assigned to each section.

Research Questions:

	1)	Do students who are enrolled in the modularized MATH 1300, 1334, and 1340 classes perform at significantly higher rates on the common examinations compared to those in the non-modularized MATH 1300, 1334, and 1340 classes?


	Student performance will be measured through the administration of common examinations. In the modularized sections, an exam will be given to measure student mastery on Student Learning Outcomes at the end of each module. In the control group sections, an exam will be given to measure student mastery at the same time. This exam will include questions measuring mastery of Student Learning Outcomes that were included in the module exams. Unless they are given equivalent exams at equivalent times, the experimental and control groups cannot be adequately compared.

Do instructors of modularized MATH 1300, 1334, 1340 who use relational and cooperative learning in their instruction have significantly higher scores on the common examinations among their students than instructors in the control courses?

Instructors selected to teach the experimental groups of students will be observed at least twice per semester by trained consultants using an observation instrument. Students will also evaluate their instructors at the end of the semester.

Do tutors and Student Teaching Assistants who use collaborative AVID tutorials to improve student performance have students with significantly higher scores on the common examinations than those tutors and assistants who do not use AVID tutorials?

Trained tutors and STA�s will be observed by trained consultants using the AVID Tutor Observation instrument at least twice per semester during the 4^th hour.

	4)	Are student pre-assessment data (including ACT, THEA and Accuplacer scores) correlated with the common MATH 1300, 1334, and 1340 exam scores in both the modularized and non-modularized sections?

	5)	Is the modified early warning system correlated with higher rates of student success on the common examinations?

	6)	Do students who use the WeBWorks online homework facility on a regular basis have significantly higher exam common scores than students who do not?

Organizational Chart and Management Plan

Timeline for first 33 months established.

Personnel responsibilities through job descriptions.

	Council of Advisors
	Project Administrator
	Teaching Faculty
	Graduate Teaching Assistants
	Learning Assistance Center Tutors

Budget

	1)	AY 2006-07
	2)	AY 2007-08
	3)	AY 2008-09
	4)	AY 2009-10

Anticipated Results and post-QEP Plan for Improvement

Does QEP achieve or not achieve anticipated results? What is the plan for modifying, improving, or changing the existing interventions?

After the first year, if there is a substantial improvement in student learning of the experimental group, six more sections of modularized classes will be added and will follow the same intervention format.

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