New Math Program Paying Dividends for MATC Students

MILWAUKEE – Thanks to a new math program, MATC has dramatically improved the success of its math students — and sped up their path to graduation in the process.

The new approach stemmed from the college’s Guided Pathways initiative, an effort to create more equity-minded, student-centered systems and courses begun in 2019. That meant doing away with the developmental algebra sequence, an introductory non-credit course for students considered “not ready” for college math. In its place, the college recognized that most high school graduates can succeed with the right support. MATC introduced a math reasoning option for credit that did not require prerequisites and better aligned with many programs of study.

Not only did the MATC math department revise the structure of the college’s offerings, but it also modified the way they were taught, moving away from lecture-based courses to evidence-based active and collaborative instruction. Since the introductory math offerings were a barrier for many students of color, these changes have helped to shrink the racial equity gap at the school.

In the wake of this change, the rate of students passing their introductory math course has risen from 50% to 74% — and they are now earning a college-level math credit in the process.

“The old curriculum was built on the assumption that many students were not ready for college math,” said MATC’s Dean of General Education Academic & Career Pathway, Dr. Sadique Isahaku. “Our new philosophy is that, given the right support, almost every student is ready. The results have certainly borne that out.”

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is the largest and most racially and ethnically diverse technical college in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students annually. Each term, MATC was seeing up to 1,500 students — a large majority of whom were from low-income households, first-generation, and/or traditionally underrepresented students in higher education — enroll in developmental non-credit math courses. For these students, the courses extended their time to graduation and did not count toward their major.

“The new approach is closing equity gaps,” said Dr. Isahaku. “It is giving more students a fair chance to advance academically toward their goals.”

By engaging in Guided Pathways planning, MATC’s math department has eliminated a system of courses that were not working for their students. With a greater focus on the students’ learning experience, MATC has not only introduced new pathways to student success, they’re scaling a solution that is helping all of their students build a more positive and productive relationship with mathematics.

In fall 2022, MATC will expand their math pathways with the introduction of Quantway College–a transfer-level course option to support those students looking to advance to a four-year institution.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.