2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work in progress paper details a study of student success and retention based on initial math placement. Many engineering program’s four-year plans of study are based on first semester placement in a Calculus math class. This causes math placement to be a critical determinate for a student’s ability to graduate in in four years. Post-COVID, the math readiness of graduating high school students has been declining, resulting in more first-year engineering students to be placed in pre-calculus math classes. [Institution] was seeing a similar rise in pre-calculus math placement. Readily available institutional data showed a decrease in student retention based on math placement but it was unclear as to whether student success or concerns about time to graduation were likely factors in the reduction of retention rates. Since mitigation measures would differ depending on whether students were encountering lower academic success or whether there was concern about the time and financial implications of taking longer to graduate. This led the [institution] to look deeper into student indicators based on initial math placement. These indicators included retention in engineering, four- and six-year graduation rates, and success in early math, science, and engineering courses. Six years of data from first-year students entering the [School of Engineering] programs from 2017-2022 were analyzed. Data for each student included initial math course placement; scores on the ALEKS math placement exam; grades earned in typical math, science, and engineering courses; and graduating major and time to degree where available. The study was a collaborative effort between the engineering Dean’s office and faculty from the math and science departments. The results on this study are being used to develop student programs to aimed at mitigating the effects of pre-calculus math placement on their students. Potential measures range from summer bridge programs before their first semester, tutoring and academic support, summer courses between first and second years of study as well as a host of measures to encourage a sense of belongingness within their major.