What is the history of this program?
Starting in 2006, in collaboration with Plymouth State University through a Making the Transition from High School to College grant, CCSNH developed a Steering Committee to research assessment practices and placement scores for prospective community college students. Four-hundred Career and Technical Education Center students were assessed using the Accuplacer.
Based on the results, a course called Senior Math was designed to build student competency on the 14 algebraic competencies identified as a requirement to be prepared to take and pass a first-year math course offered at one of our CCSNH colleges. From September 2007 to August 2008, the CCSNH Math Transition Project Steering Committee developed and recommended a syllabus for a common, college-level mathematics course, Topics of Applied College Mathematics (TAC.Math), to be offered as a dual enrollment course for high school and college credit.
From September 2008 through June 2009, the Senior Math and TAC.Math course sequence was presented to high school and college audiences and in June of 2008, a proposal on behalf of six high schools and the seven community colleges to implement a two-tiered approach called “Math Learning Communities” (MLC) was approved. A Project Leadership Team of high school and community college faculty was developed to support and guide the MLC and outreach to high schools, to recruit MLC partners, and to offer joint high school and college professional development opportunities to promote implementation of the MLC at the college and high school level.
Eventually the Senior Math and TAC.Math courses would be revised based on program results and feedback to address the changing landscape of math preparedness for college. Senior Math became Advanced Mathematical Foundations which served to review, strengthen and expand upon a student’s understanding and ability to apply fundamental competencies in the following subject areas: Algebra; Geometry; and Probability and Statistics. A new course, Quantitative Reasoning, was developed to replace TAC.Math and was offered not only through the MLC program, but also at the community colleges. The subject area content includes: Number Theory/Number Systems, Algebra – Functions & Modeling, Finance, Geometry & Measurement, Probability & Statistics. All content to be taught at a college level by qualified instructors emphasizing an applied problem solving and critical thinking approach to their teaching.
From 2008 to 2017, the program enrollment grew from 8 to 37 high schools and almost 1000 students. Over those years, we had been fortunate to secure funding for the MLC project through the Math Science Partnership grant through the DoE, then through the College Access Challenge Grant and then through the Math Science Partnership again. Unfortunately grant funding, and thus the MLC program, ended after 2017. However, recognizing the success that students in the program had achieved, many high schools continued to offer the Quantitative Reasoning course through the CCSNH Running Start, now Early College, program. Some also continued to offer a version of Advanced Mathematical Foundations as well.
How is the program being rebooted?
With strong, bi-partisan support for the program in the NH State Legislature, in 2023 a bill was passed to fund the revival of this impactful program. In April 2024, a Project Manager was hired, and a project leadership team was formed to develop and implement the curriculum for the Algebra 2 and Statistics 1 courses. For the next legislative biennium we have requested a change to the wording of the bill that would allow us to expand beyond the upper high school grades to include all high school grades.
Who are the target students for this program?
The primary goal of the two-tier strategy to advance the math skills of high school juniors and seniors will have applicability for a cohort of secondary school students who are often reluctant math learners and are most likely not to be candidates for pre-calculus or other higher mathematics because they are not looking to pursue a university STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) degree. However, the Tier 2 course would be an excellent opportunity for any high school senior to explore new mathematical concepts while also earning college credit.
How will this program benefit students?
For students who continue to struggle with mastering mathematical concepts and/or fail to thrive in math courses taught using conventional methods, the Algebra 2 course will serve to strengthen and expand upon a student’s mathematical understanding and ability to apply skills to real-world problems. Using innovative teaching methods including asset-based instruction, mathematical discourse, and social-emotional learning, the course material will emphasize applied reasoning and practical applications of the skills learned.
The Statistics 1 course will continue to challenge students with statistics concepts taught at a college level by qualified instructors emphasizing an applied problem solving and critical thinking approach to their teaching. Successful completion of this course will earn students both high school and college credit. This helps to avoid the time, cost, and discouragement of struggling with pre-requisite math courses upon entering college This course will also be available to students who did not need to take the the MLC Algebra 2 course and are ready to tackle college-level math.
Beyond the mastery of math concepts, the critical thinking and problem-solving strategies emphasized in both courses can be used across content areas as they improve students’ general learning skills. This improves access to mastery learning for students who struggle with more than just mathematics. The Statistics 1 course also provides the opportunity to experience college-level coursework for students who may have thought that postsecondary education was beyond their means or ability.
How will this program benefit high school faculty?
Instructors of these courses in the high schools will be able to focus most of their time on helping students master course material rather than on curriculum planning because the project leadership team made up of community college and high school faculty will provide them with the curriculum, complete with lesson plans and a facilitator’s guide. In addition, they will be able to attend professional development on, and assistance with, the content and instructional methodologies in the courses. The networking opportunities provided during the professional development sessions will allow teachers to share thoughts and experiences with each other since peer teachers are often the best resources for each other.
How will this benefit my high school?
This program offers your school the opportunity to implement courses developed by college math faculty and master high school mathematics teachers from across the state. Since program funds will also be used to pay for course materials for schools who partner with us during the start-up years, this gives you the opportunity to offer research-based, high-quality learning opportunities to the students at your school with less impact on your budget than offering traditional courses to those students would have. Your teachers will also be supported through training, professional development, and support at no cost to you. Becoming a Math Learning Communities partner school allows you to be part of a state-wide network of master educators working together to improve readiness for college-level math and learning across the state.