The impact of remedial mathematics on the success of African American and Latino male community college students

This study examined course taking patterns in remedial mathematics and their possible impact on the success of first-time African American and Latino male community college students in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). The questions that this study answered focused around student background characteristics and performance in remedial mathematics. This study's independent variables were ethnicity, age, course load, and level of remedial math and time of entry into remedial mathematics courses. Remedial mathematics courses represented those courses below the designated transfer course and were analyzed by levels. These independent variables were paired with the dependent variable of student success, which was measured in terms of grade point average (GPA) and course completion rates. The study utilized academic integration as first discussed in Tinto's Student Departure theory and hypothesized that student characteristics and student success was correlated with course-taking patterns in remedial mathematics. Data utilized were from the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) dataset.;The study found that remedial mathematics courses impact the success of African American and Latino male community college students. The four hypothesis addressed were partially supported by the data. Older students were more successful in remedial mathematics than younger cohorts in terms of GPA and course completion rates. Full-time students also had higher success rates in remedial math than part-time students. Both findings supported Tinto's original hypotheses regarding age and course load. This study also found a high correlation between performance in college-level mathematic courses following successful completion of remedial mathematics courses. Additionally, delayed entry in remedial mathematics past the first semester led to higher overall GPA's and course completion rates. The implications of this study were that the majority of first-time African American and Latino male community college students are not progressing through the remedial mathematics sequence; however the likelihood of success in college level math courses is correlated with successful completion of remedial mathematics courses. Student age and the timing of enrolling in the remedial mathematics course were found to be significant factors. Therefore, students should be required to complete remediation; but encouraged to delay enrollment past the first semester.