Evaluating the Effect of Sirius Educational Materials on Developmental Mathematics Retention and Academic Performance

Community colleges across the nation struggle with student success and retention. As many as 71% of all community college students will enroll in at least one developmental course, usually mathematics. The average retention rate for developmental mathematics students in the state of Florida is approximately 53%. Florida State College created Sirius, an academic initiative to improve student retention and academic performance. This quantitative study was conducted at Florida State College, using a stratified random sample of 1,000 students enrolled in Sirius and non-Sirius developmental mathematics courses during the 2008--2009 academic year. The retention rates and exit exam scores of students enrolled in the Sirius and non-Sirius courses were compared using an independent sample t-test. Based on the independent sample t-test at a 95% confidence level (alpha=.05), Sirius students did not show a statistically significant difference on exit exam scores, compared to non-Sirius students, t(998) = -.585, p = .559. However, Sirius students showed a statistically significant difference in retention rates when compared to non-Sirius students, t(998) = -1.949, p <.05. According to the findings of this study, students enrolled in Sirius developmental mathematics courses are more likely to complete the courses than students enrolled in traditional developmental courses. For educational institutions with a student population similar to the student population of Florida State College, the findings of this study present the possibility of adopting comparable methodologies that address the unique needs of developmental mathematics students. As student satisfaction may impact success and retention rates, future studies to investigate the students' level of satisfaction with Sirius developmental mathematics courses are recommended.