Eliminating the Math Barrier by Creating and Piloting a Self-Assessment Tool at HSIs

About This Grant

This project serves the national interest by holding two workshops to develop and refine a self-assessment tool for mathematics departments at research universities. The project-developed assessment will enable departments to increase their student success and graduation rates by improving teaching and learning in undergraduate mathematics courses. This tool will be developed in partnership with teams from three large Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): Florida International University, San Diego State University, and the University of Texas San Antonio. The mathematics departments at these partner institutions will also serve as pilot and testing sites for the new tool. The project has three phases. First, through the initial workshop and virtual collaborations, an expert writing team will work with departmental teams to adapt existing assessments that have been used effectively in other disciplines and at other types of institutions. Next, departmental leaders from the three partnering HSIs will use the self-assessment to explore how several proven strategies are being utilized in undergraduate mathematics courses at each site. Finally, the project team and participants will come together for a closing workshop to discuss lessons learned, revisions to the tool, and next steps. The current project is part of the larger Eliminating the Math Barrier through Evidence-based Reforms (EMBER) initiative which seeks to engage 100 institutions in deploying established student success strategies. The planned self-assessment will examine placement, course structures, course coordination, active pedagogies, student support, creating community, advising, technology, data on student progress, student assessment, classroom teacher development and client department needs. While this project will explore specific aspects of effective self-assessment at Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRUs), the tools developed will be applicable across institution types. Development of the self-assessment will build on existing tools and self-assessment practices, including those used in American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges’ (AMATYC’s) Teaching for Prowess, Effective Practices for Physics Programs, the Departmental Action Team model, the MAA's Guidelines for Programs and Departments, and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) STEMM Equity Achievement (SEA) Change initiative. The three collaborating HSIs will examine their campus student success as part of the program self-assessment exercise. The department teams will disaggregate data whenever possible, allowing for the identification of challenges and gaps within and across groups of students. Key to the work will be teaching-focused faculty, who now coordinate instruction for most introductory mathematics courses at research institutions. As part of the piloting process, each institution will subsequently consider an action plan. The closing workshop will showcase each team's work, continue building collaboration, and gather feedback about the self-assessment with the goal of further developing the self-assessment for broader use. Lessons learned will be shared with the mathematics community and other disciplinary groups interested in exploring similar vehicles for departmental assessment and change. This project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and increase capacity to engage in the development and implementation of innovations to improve STEM teaching and learning at HSIs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.