February 2011, Volume 15, Number 1

Features

Teacher with students

NCAT Gives MDC a Winning Equation

Miami Dade College is one of 38 two-year institutions selected to participate in “Changing the Equation,” a new $2.3 million grant program focused on redesigning developmental math.

Sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the program is part of the National Center for Academic Transformation. MDC is one of six institutions to receive an additional Department of Education grant.

The goal is to use NCAT’s proven redesign methodology to improve learning outcomes while reducing costs for students and institutions.

The program is being piloted at MDC’s Kendall Campus this spring and will be fully implemented by the fall semester. If adopted collegewide, the program could potentially impact up to 16,000 students at MDC annually.

“Changing the Equation” builds on NCAT’s 10 years of experience in conducting large-scale course redesigns. In the past, math redesigns at NCAT partner institutions have increased the percentage of students completing a developmental math course by 51 percent while reducing the cost to the institution by 30 percent.

In addition, NCAT redesigns have increased the percentage of students completing a college-level math course by 25 percent while reducing the cost of instruction by 37 percent.

— WV


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