The Necessity of Fundamental Math in College

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the status of developmental math courses in higher education settings, particularly community colleges, which are designed to increase the likelihood of student success in credit math classes. Non-credit remedial mathematics courses have a long curricular history in community college and university settings. The following discussion will examine the numerous contributing factors impacting the requirements of developmental education in postsecondary settings, while placing specific emphasis on the necessity for a math literate population, as most college students must take at least one course to earn a degree or credential. To improve student persistence in college, there are targeted efforts to decrease the amount of time students spend in remedial classes. The initiatives to improve the placement, retention, and success of students in developmental and college-credit math courses, along with trends in developmental education will be explored. Issues of social class, and gender in higher-education, and how these circumstances influence academic success in math courses will also be examined