Dear Colleagues,
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Carnegie Math Pathways. Since the founding of Carnegie Math Pathways, we have witnessed an incredible shift in the field of developmental education. We at the Carnegie Math Pathways are proud to have helped spur this movement to more equitable and impactful outcomes for students.
Ten years ago, the notion of enrolling all students, regardless of their performance on placement exams, directly into college-level mathematics, was unthinkable. Since then we have shown that students can succeed when they are in classrooms that engage them in relevant and meaningful mathematics and that nurture their sense of belonging and their confidence in their own mathematical abilities. Year after year our network of educators has demonstrated the powerful effect of this type of learning environment and the powerful impact of instructors—proving that with the right support, students can excel and thrive in mathematics. Students in the Carnegie Math Pathways courses succeed at triple the rate of their peers and do so in half the time, going on to earn more college credits, and transfer and graduate at higher rates. Now, 10 years later, corequisite approaches to remediation, spurred by the pathways movement, are becoming standard practice across the United States.
Over the last 10 years, countless students have succeeded in college mathematics and beyond because of Carnegie Math Pathways. But hundreds of thousands of more students deserve the opportunity to access programs like these. Both the current pandemic and social unrest driven by racial injustice lay bare the work that remains to ensure that all students have access to quality education that enables them to succeed in college and in life.
This is why we will continue to collaborate with educators, researchers, and administrative leaders across the country to create a more equitable developmental math system. We know that we can accomplish more together than any one of us can accomplish alone. Already, our community’s collective work is focused on what’s next–ensuring all students, regardless of race, income, or grade level have access to powerful and effective online and in-person learning experiences and ensuring meaningful math pathways to high school, through high school, and into college. Cheers to another decade of innovating, collaborating, and student success.
Forward!
Karon Klipple
Executive Director
Carnegie Math Pathways at WestEd
