Jackson State News Archives
Feb 11, 2010
Jackson State Receives National Recognition for Developmental Math Redesign
Jackson State Community College has been awarded the Futures Assembly Bellwether Award for excellence in community college instructional services and programs for its SMART Math developmental studies redesign. This is a national award given to only one community college in the country in each of three categories each year.
“Well over a hundred community colleges applied for consideration and out of ten finalists, Jackson State was selected to receive the top award,” said Dr. Bruce Blanding, president of Jackson State. “This award is the result of the hard work, dedication, and commitment to innovation and student success of many professionals at the college.”
Betty Frost, associate professor of mathematics, and Mary Jane Bassett, dean of academic support, led a team of Jackson State faculty and staff to redesign the developmental math courses at the college. The program is entitled SMART Math: Removing Roadblocks to College Success. The acronym SMART stands for Survive, Master, Achieve, Review, and Transfer.
Before SMART Math, students who needed developmental studies in mathematics took three separate classes - basic math, elementary algebra and intermediate algebra. Now, through the work of this team in collaboration with faculty and staff from all areas of the college, students are required to take only the modules that are relevant to their career goals. Instead of taking three semesters to complete three separate courses, now students can move through the twelve modules they need at their own pace and complete the program much sooner.
The JSCC team also created the SMART Math Center, located in the Nelms Classroom Building on the Jackson campus, which houses course content modules, video lectures, online homework and testing from MyMathLab, and provides a place for students to receive immediate assistance from instructors and tutors. Student learning is supported by online tutorials, instructor-led discussion groups, organized group study and one-on-one tutoring. The SMART Math Center offers special assistance for students who fall behind in scheduled work and acceleration for students who are capable of moving through objectives more quickly.
According to the exit research done by the SMART Math team, the program has reduced the total cost per student by over 20 percent, while increasing the pass rate of students by 54 percent.
“All of us at JSCC our very proud of Betty, Mary Jane and of all the faculty and staff who have contributed to make this innovation a reality. The fact that over 50 percent more students are now succeeding in developmental math is an important step in our continuing efforts to enhance student success at the college,” said Blanding.
“Professor Frost and her mathematics colleagues are very deserving of the national Bellwether award and I am very proud of their accomplishments,” said Frank Dodson, vice president of academic affairs.
The Bellwether Awards annually recognize outstanding and innovative programs and practices that are successfully leading community colleges into the future. An award is presented in each of three categories: Instructional Programs & Services for programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to foster or support teaching and learning in the community college; Planning, Governance & Finance for programs or activities that have been designed and successfully implemented to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the community college; and Workforce Development for public and/or private strategic alliances and partnerships that promote community and economic development. Jackson State won the award in the Instructional Programs and Services category.
Jackson State is planning a celebration reception on February 26 from 1 - 4 p.m. in the SMART Math Lab room 102 in the Classroom Building. Students, alumni, faculty, staff and the community are invited to come celebrate this award with the Jackson State mathematics faculty. For more information, contact Claude Bailey at cbailey@jscc.edu or 731-424-3520 x320.
