The systemwide Math Pathways initiative in Kansas encompasses several key components, including gateway math courses, multiple placement measures, and corequisite developmental support. The Math Pathways Taskforce has developed this FAQ Guide to provide institutions with a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions and responses. As our work progresses, new questions and answers will be added!
1. Where can I find more information about Math Pathways in Kansas?
Information regarding Math Pathways in Kansas, along with a relevant webinar, can be found at the following website: https://www.kansasregents.org/academic_affairs/math-pathways
2. Where can I find more information about Math Pathways at my institution?
Institutions are encouraged to provide relevant information for Math Pathways and / or link to the KBOR Math Pathways website. Math Pathways Task Force members and Chief Academic Officers are charged with this work.
3. When will Math Pathways be fully implemented in Kansas?
Math Pathways is scheduled to be fully implemented in Kansas by the fall semester of 2026.
4. Where can I find a timeline for Math Pathways in Kansas?
A timeline (slide 22) is contained within the webinar presentation available at the following website:
https://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/Academic_Affairs/Math_Pres-September_15_2023_DrArcher.pdf
5. How will Math Pathways in Kansas be reviewed and adapted over time to ensure successful implementation and continued improvement?
The Math Pathways Task Force and Systemwide Math Course Placement Measures Committee are asked to make recommendations on how Math Pathways will be reviewed and adopted over time. These recommendations will be shared with the Board of Regents. The Board and Board staff will also review system data to assess the effectiveness of math pathways, corequisite support, and course placement measures.
6. What is a meta-major and where do I find which pathway course is assigned to which major?
A meta-major is a group of academic programs with common courses or occupations that help students enroll in relevant courses aligned with a coherent degree program. By August 2024, programs across the state will have selected gateway math courses and we anticipate these selections will have been confirmed by the Chief Academic Officers. After the confirmation occurs, KBOR will post the selected gateway math courses by programs on their website.
7. Is a Math Pathway course the same as a Kansas Quantitative General Education requirement?
The Math Pathway course selected by programs will satisfy the Systemwide General Education requirement.
8. Why is Kansas changing to pathways? (E.g., What problem/challenge is Math Pathways trying to address?)
Kansas is changing to Math Pathways to increase student success and completion. For statistics on why the traditional college algebra model is no longer the best model available, see Information regarding Math Pathways in Kansas, along with a relevant webinar, at the following website: https://www.kansasregents.org/academic_affairs/math-pathways
9. Will a Math Pathway course taken at one college or university in Kansas be transferable to another?
Math Pathway courses are determined by each academic program, and are transferable to the same programs offered across the state.
10. If a first year student is ready for a math or statistics course beyond the Math Pathway courses, do they still need to take the pathway course?
No. Students prepared to enter Calculus as judged by the institution, for example, do not need to complete College Algebra, Contemporary Math, or Elementary Statistics. Please note that discipline math courses offered outside of the math / statistics department are not permitted as gateway math courses (e.g., discipline-based statistics courses).
11. If a student does not take a math pathway course, does a more advanced math or statistics course count towards a student's general education requirements?
Yes, it can. For example, Calculus can count as satisfying the gateway math course requirement. However, students are encouraged to check with their major department to be sure the specific course will work. Please note that discipline math courses offered outside of the math / statistics department are not permitted as gateway math courses (e.g., discipline-based statistics courses).
12. Can a department require a more advanced course for their major as the general education requirement such as calculus?
Yes. For example, Calculus will count as satisfying the gateway math course requirement, and we understand it is required in Engineering, Architecture, and other STEM programs. We also understand that a student might need to start out with a lower level course, such as College Algebra, depending on their readiness level. Please note that discipline math courses offered outside of the math department are not permitted as gateway math courses (e.g., discipline-based statistics courses).
13. If a department can require calculus for their Math General Education requirement, is the Math Pathway course for that major calculus or college algebra?
Engineering programs were granted an exception to the Systemwide General Education framework and are allowed to require Calculus for the math and statistics general education bucket. If the student is ready to take calculus, calculus will satisfy that requirement. The student may need to take College Algebra or College Algebra with Support, depending on their readiness level, before they take the required calculus course. While either will work to satisfy the Systemwide General Education, calculus is required for the program.
14. Can an institution have several versions of a college algebra, contemporary math, or statistics Math Pathway course?
An institution's three math pathways courses must incorporate the common learning outcomes agreed upon by the appropriate Kansas Core Outcomes Groups (KCOG). In conjunction with a math pathways/gateway course, an institution may provide different levels of corequisite support for the given course.
15. If a student passes one Math Pathway course, will they need to take a different one if they change majors or declare a double major?
This will be decided by the institution and the academic disciplines/majors. Institutions retain the right and ability to issue substitutions at the student level. KBOR encourages flexibility and making decisions in the best interest of students.
16. If a student passes college algebra and their pathway is statistics or contemporary mathematics, will they be required to take another math pathway course?
This will be decided by the institution and the academic disciplines/majors. Institutions retain the right and ability to issue substitutions at the student level. KBOR encourages flexibility and making decisions in the best interest of students.
17. If a student passes college algebra or statistics and their pathway is contemporary mathematics, will they be required to take it too?
This will be decided by the institution and the academic disciplines/majors. Institutions retain the right and ability to issue substitutions at the student level. KBOR encourages flexibility and making decisions in the best interest of students.
18. If a student’s major is undecided, what Math Pathway course should they take?
In this situation, advisors should work with students to select the gateway math course best suited for the likely meta major.
19. Do institutions or programs have to follow policy on which course is required for the major?
While institutions can make exceptions for an individual student, programs will follow the decisions made by discipline faculty groups that were agreed upon and confirmed by CAOs.
20. How are programs separated out for the pathways math course?
Programs were grouped by meta-majors. A meta-major is a group of academic programs with common courses or occupations that help students enroll in relevant courses aligned with a coherent degree program. By August 2024, programs across the state will have selected gateway math courses and we anticipate these selections will have been confirmed by the Chief Academic Officers. After the confirmation occurs, KBOR will post the selected gateway math courses by programs on their website.
21. Where can I find the KBOR Math Pathway Placements Measures?
The Multiple Measures Placement Committee will finalize their work by August 2024 and the Kansas Board of Regents will place the information on their website.
22. Where can I find my institution’s Math Pathway Placements Measures?
Institutions are encouraged to provide relevant information for Math Pathways Placement Measures and / or link to the KBOR Math Pathways website. Math Pathways Task Force members and Chief Academic Officers are charged with this work.
23. Can a student place out of taking a Math Pathway course?
Yes- per existing institutional policies.
24. If a student can place out of a Math Pathway course, do they still need to take a Math Pathways General Education course?
If a student has AP, dual, or college credit for the Math Pathways course, the student does not still need to take a Math Pathways General Education course. If the student does not have credit, the institution has the authority to indicate the systemwide Gen Ed Math Bucket is satisfied, but the student cannot complete the systemwide Gen Ed with less than 34 credit hours.
25. Are students required to take any standardized tests in Kansas to place into, or out of, a Math Pathway course?
No. Students are not required to take a standardized test. However, student may elect to use an approved standardized test for placement out of corequisite support.
26. With multiple placement measures, does a student have to satisfy all measures or just one to place into a course?
Students only need to satisfy one of the multiple measures listed to enter the gateway math course without corequisite support. The perspective here is that you are looking for any piece of evidence that a student has demonstrated readiness for college-level work at some point, rather than requiring one specific form (e.g., test scores) or multiple pieces of evidence.
27. Can an institutional placement measure be less stringent (or more stringent) than the KBOR measures?
Students only need to satisfy one of the multiple measures listed to enter the gateway math course without corequisite support. The perspective here is that you are looking for any piece of evidence that a student has demonstrated readiness for college-level work at some point, rather than requiring one specific form (e.g., test scores) or multiple pieces of evidence.
28. How do exceptions work with math placement? (e.g., can institutions allow substitutions for individual students?)
Institutions may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Institutions retain the right and ability to issue exceptions at the student level. KBOR encourages flexibility and making decisions in the best interest of students.
29. If a student takes College Algebra as a dual credit student, does that count towards their general education requirement?
Yes, if the student successfully passes the course, and so long as the course aligns with the student's major.
30. Where can I find more information on corequisite support components for Math Pathway courses?
More information will be provided during the Fall 2024 professional development opportunities. As we progress through those, this response may be updated. You may also consult the KBOR Policy manual, Chapter III.A.14.
31. What are the KBOR requirements for a corequisite support component?
Per KBOR policy, Corequisite support developmental education shall be delivered through one of the following sections: (1) Supplemental course section - A student in a supplemental course section attends a corequisite support developmental education section model in which there are structured courses that run before, after, or on opposite days to the gateway course. The gateway course and the concurrent supplemental course are completed in the same semester. (2) Mandatory tutoring section - A student in a mandatory tutoring section attends a corequisite support developmental education section model in which mandatory tutoring in a lab is required for a specified number of hours per week. The gateway course and concurrent mandatory tutoring are completed in the same semester. (3) Boot camp section - A student in a boot camp section attends a corequisite support developmental education section model in which the first three to five weeks of the semester are typically developmental content, followed by the college-level content. Classes meet extra hours each week throughout the semester to equal the two classes or class plus lab. The boot camp and gateway course are completed in the same semester. (4) Compressed course section - A student in a compressed course section attends a corequisite support developmental education section model in which a developmental class is typically compressed into eight weeks, and then the college-level gateway course is typically compressed into eight weeks, so that both classes are completed in the same semester. Classes meet extra hours each week throughout the semester to deliver the applicable credit hours of instruction for both the corequisite section and the gateway course within the compressed timeframes.
32. How do credits hours and tuition work with corequisite support?
Corequisite support developmental education sections may be tailored for specific student groups and offered for different amounts of credit (up to three semester credit hours), and tuition and fees may be charged as otherwise authorized for each institution’s credit-bearing courses. Credit awarded in corequisite developmental education sections shall not be used to fulfill requirements for associate or baccalaureate degrees.
33. Are corequisite support components their own courses which require teaching hours assigned?
Corequisite support developmental education sections may be tailored for specific student groups and offered for different amounts of credit (up to three semester credit hours). Beyond that, it is up to the institution.
34. How does an institution pay for corequisite support?
That is up to the institution. Tuition and fees may be charged as otherwise authorized for each institution’s credit-bearing courses.
35. Are corequisite support components graded separately or as a part of the Math Pathway course?
That is to be determined by the institution. KBOR will provide best practice guidelines during the fall professional development trainings.
36. Can any student in the pathway course sign up for corequisite support?
That is to be determined by the institution. KBOR will provide best practice guidelines during the fall professional development trainings for students who score slightly above the multiple placement measures.
37. If a student fails the corequisite portion of a pathway course, but passes the main course, do they need to retake the course?
It depends on how the institution sets up the course. If the institution structures the course(s) in such a way that each component is graded separately, and the student passes the gateway (pathways) course component, unless the institution has a policy stating otherwise, the student should not have to take "the course" again. We urge institutions to do what is best for students. If this is a common situation, something is probably wrong with the course setup.
38. What data should be kept to evaluate whether an institution’s corequisite support model is improving student success?
Institutions should examine placement measures used and course outcomes at the student record level for assessment.
39. If a student passes the corequisite portion of the pathway course, but fails the main course, do they have to repeat BOTH or just the main pathway course?
It depends on how the institution sets up the course. If the institution structures the course(s) in such a way that each component is graded separately, and the student passes the corequisite support component, the institution should work with the student to determine the best path forward. The hope is that there would be a different means of supporting the student to assist them in successful completion of the gateway math pathways course.