Factors predicting success in a college-level algebra course at an applied vocational/technical community college

Changing demographics in combination with advanced technological developments have placed the education and training of the workforce on the national agenda. As a result federal committees were established solely to render funding and provide guidance to vocational/technical institutions of higher learning. The objective was to integrate academic subjects with vocational education, thus preparing workers with highly needed skills to compete in the global economy of the 21st century.; The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not certain factors could be used to predict the successful completion of a college level mathematics course in a technical/vocational two-year college. Second, this study sought to determine if success in a college level mathematics course was predictive of degree completion. Third, this study examined the influence of student need for a college level mathematics course on completion of degree type—Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree versus Certificate of Completion.; The obtained cohort (N = 1236) consisted of first-time, full-time, associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degree seeking students who first enrolled in the TSTC System in the Fall of 1997. A factor analysis was performed to identify predictor variables for student success in a college transferable math course. A nominal logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the degree to which the variables contributed to the prediction of student success in a college transferable math course. Significant mathematical models for predicting student success in a college transferable math course were obtained for the cohort (full sample) and for each ethnic group. The predominant predictor for the full sample and ethnic groups was first quarter GPA. Significant relationships were found to exist between success in a college transferable math course and degree attainment and between success in a college transferable math course and degree type. These results confirm that a successful completion of a college transferable math course at a technical/vocational two-year college could be related to type of degree obtained.