Students enrolled in MATH 1113 (precalculus) have been identified as a high-priority population as the course is a gateway to successfully completing a STEM degree, especially if a student’s high school math program is under resourced. In addition, MATH 1113 enrollment is steadily rising (161.4% increase from Fall 2018 to Fall 2022). Furthermore, while a final grade of B is considered the threshold to successfully advance into a STEM major, only 15% and 18% of MATH 1113 students earned an A or B, respectively, in the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semester, indicating two-thirds of the students were not calculus 1-ready by the end of the term in precalculus.
As more Georgia Tech students begin their undergraduate journey in precalculus, we must bolster the institutional support around this entry point to the mathematics prerequisite sequencing to ensure students successfully complete MATH 1113 in the first attempt and progress to calculus 1 well prepared.
In the previous CCG reporting cycle, we established a companion section of GT 1000: First-Year Seminar aligned to the MATH 1113 course pacing to provide additional support specific to navigating the first year of college; these sections included elements of academic coaching, mindset development, and academic success strategies. Additionally, GT 1000 provided an avenue for key academic planning incorporating MATH 1113, which is not included in any Georgia Tech STEM degree map. Beyond course planning, holistic college roadmapping supports the development and realization of one’s purpose to help MATH 1113 students make appropriate major selections and provide motivation for successful completion of precalculus to advance into subsequent STEM courses.
We intend to offer the GT 1000 companion section to MATH 1113 again in Fall 2025 with some adjustment to grow the impact potential.
Intended Assessment Plan
Benchmark 1: Surpass Fa24 enrollment of 7 students. DID NOT MEET
Benchmark 2: Maintain 100% pass rate on MATH 1113. NOT MEASURABLE
Benchmark 3: Maintain math progression, 100% enroll in MATH 1551 in Spring 2026. NOT MEASURABLE
Benchmark 4: Improve MATH 1551 final grade outcomes (1 student earned an A, 2 students earned a B, 1 student earned a C, 3 students earned a D). NOT MEASURABLE
We are continuing to track the Fall 2024 cohort of 7 students. All 7 students are still enrolled at Georgia Tech, are in good academic standing, and progressing academically. The cohort has an average GPA of 2.98 (range, 2.03 – 3.72). All students, but one, have progressed beyond Calculus I, and the student is taking Calculus I in Fall 2025 and has a satisfactory midterm progress report.
As previously reported, an extensive enrollment strategy and marketing campaign in Fall 2024 only yielded 7 students in the MATH 1113 companion course pilot. Despite the smaller than anticipated course enrollment, we piloted one section of the GT 1000 companion course in Fall 2024 and preliminary student data was promising. Of the seven students registered, only one student received a midterm grade of U-Unsatisfactory in MATH 1113, and the cohort has averaged 2.2 visits per student to our tutoring center so far in the Fall 2024 semester.
We attempted to run the companion section of GT 1000 for MATH 1113 again in Fall 2025 with adjustments to the marketing, communications, and enrollment plan. Instead of delaying course permitting and enrollment until after the ACCUPLACER exam, we issued permits based on initial math placement determined at admission. We partnered with the academic advising community and advising operations team to communicate with advisors ahead of first-year orientation registration to encourage enrollment in the section for eligible students. Despite our efforts, the companion course was not offered due to low enrollment and limited student interest.
While the continued academic success of our pilot cohort of 7 students demonstrates the potential of the companion course model, student interest during registration persists. As such, Georgia Tech’s team focused on Academic Transition and Learning Communities will build on these lessons learned and is working with campus partners to create a summer residential program that embeds curricular and academic support for students enrolled in precalculus.
Scaling interventions for precalculus preparations will require thinking critically about the barriers and motivations of student engagement in academic support offerings and systematically addressing these findings in programmatic design.
