Development of a prediction model for students in beginning level mathematics courses at Chattanooga State Technical Community College

Since most community colleges have an "open-door" admissions policy, students enter with a wide range of backgrounds in mathematics. One of the critical needs in many community colleges is to ascertain the appropriate level for students to begin their mathematics courses. It was the purpose of this study to determine prediction of grades equations for each of the beginning level mathematics courses at Chattanooga State Technical Community College.

Participants in the study included 388 students enrolled in either Basic Mathematics, Fundamentals of Algebra, Algebra and Trigonometry I, College Algebra, or Business Mathematics during the Fall Quarter 1978 at Chattanooga State Technical Community College. The criterion variable was the final grade in each course. The independent variables investigated for possible inclusion in the regression equations were high school rank, high school grade point average, number of mathematics courses in high school, ACT Composite Score, ACT Mathematics Score, Chattanooga State Mathematics Placement Test, Nelson-Denny Reading Test Total Score, Nelson-Denny Reading Test Comprehension Score, Nelson-Denny Reading Test Vocabulary Score, and age. Since information was not available on each variable for all students, each course was divided into groups based on the information available on the independent variables for students in that group. The stepwise regression technique was used to develop prediction of grades equations for each beginning level course by group. The 5 percent entrance and exit level for variables on the partial-F test was used.

At least one prediction of grades equation was developed for each course except Basic Mathematics. The Chattanooga State Mathematics Placement Test (form A) was the single best predictor of grades for the courses: Fundamentals of Algebra, Algebra and Trigonometry I, and College Algebra. The Chattanooga State Mathematics Placement Test (form B) was the single best predictor of grades for Business Mathematics. At least one of the three scores on the Nelson-Denny Reading Test correlated significantly with a student's grade in Basic Mathematics, Fundamentals of Algebra, Algebra and Trigonometry I, and College Algebra. The ACT Mathematics Score correlated significantly with final grades in both Algebra and Trigonometry I, and College Algebra. The ACT Composite score correlated significantly with the final grades in both Fundamentals of Algebra and Algebra and Trigonometry I. The high school grade point average and the high school rank correlated significantly with the final grades in Algebra and Trigonometry I and College Algebra, respectively.

The implication of the study was that each community college should consider developing its own mathematics

for placement test and each beginning level mathematics course. corresponding multiple regression equation