Florida Student Success Center's Initiative
Mathematics Re-Design
An important initiative of the Florida Student Success Center in its first year is  mathematics pathways re-design  to increase student success. As the spring semester is underway, the mathematics workgroups have been hard at work. Hosted at Polk State College, more than 85 workgroup members, key stakeholders and partners recently gathered from across Florida's K-20 education systems to continue their commitment to this important effort.

To date, the workgroups have identified key challenges related to implementing mathematics re-design and pathways. At the Polk meeting, workgroups began to identify potential solutions that could address these challenges. Using data and evidence from institutional, state and national sources, each workgroup discussed advantages and disadvantages to the proposed solutions. The workgroups are charged with prioritizing solutions that are bold and visionary, as well as practical and achievable. The recommendations fall into two categories: recommendations for policy and recommendations for practice.
Connecting Challenges to Solutions
Where there are challenges, there are also great opportunities. All three workgroups have begun identifying solutions related to the following key challenges.

High School to Postsecondary Alignment
  • Communication channels between K-12 and postsecondary
  • Traditional assessments 
  • Differences between the K-12 and postsecondary environments
  • Certification, training and employment of math teachers/counselors in secondary education

Florida College System Mathematics Sequences
  • Requirements at the state level are too broad 
  • Differentiation at local levels
  • Many developmental education courses offered
  • Statewide course numbering too vague
  • Differences in course prerequisites 
  • Placement of students into the correct courses
  • Student program changes

College to University Alignment
  • Differences in course prerequisites and course content
  • Differences in learning outcomes based on meta-majors/programs of study  
  • Inconsistent course offerings between institutions
  • Varying course modalities and instructional methods
  • Student program changes

For more information about these challenges and next steps in the process, please register for our webinar on Friday, March 29, 2019, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. EDT.
Note: This webinar is intended to provide a high-level overview of the progress to date. Some of the information may be duplicative for folks who serve on one of the workgroups.
Workgroup Chairs
Mathematics Re-Design Workgroups are led by:
  • Professor Cynthia McGinnis of Northwest Florida State College, chair of the high school to postsecondary alignment workgroup (left)
  • Dr. Julie Phelps of Valencia College, chair of the FCS mathematics sequences workgroup (center)
  • Dr. Tommy Minton of Seminole State College of Florida, chair of the FCS to university alignment workgroup (right)
For questions regarding the mathematics workgroups, please contact FLStudentSuccess@fldoe.org .