Date Awarded
Spring 2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Education
Advisor
Pamela L Eddy
Committee Member
Thomas J Ward
Committee Member
Heather D Wathington
Abstract
Community colleges face an environment that requires them to increasingly focus on completion while simultaneously maintaining open admissions (Sydow & Alfred, 2013). Developmental math courses are a linchpin in improving college completion because approximately 60% of community college students are placed into developmental math courses, yet very few of those students make it through developmental courses and on toward degree completion (Bailey, 2009; Developmental Math Redesign Team, 2010). In 2009, the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) embarked on a system-wide redesign of developmental math courses (Developmental Education Task Force, 2009). However, such large-scale system change means challenges and previous experience highlights that approximately 50% – 80% of change initiatives fail to meet their goals (Black, 2013). This study evaluated the change process used to implement the VCCS developmental math redesign. A uniquely created survey based on Kotter’s (2012) change model was used to determine if faculty observed sound change practices at their institutions during the redesign. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the findings suggest that faculty saw evidence of Kotter’s (2012) change model in the implementation of the redesign. There were differences in how faculty perceived the change processes based on different demographic characteristics. There was evidence that Kotter’s (2012) model was fully implemented in the redesign, and there were some significant differences in faculty perceptions of Empowerment. This study concluded that positively framing the results of the redesign at the system level could have improved student outcomes and that it would be wise for colleges to assess the change processes they use.
DOI
http://doi.org/10.21220/W4ZT09
Rights
© The Author
Recommended Citation
Adkins, Michael Frank, "An Evaluation of the Vccs Developmental Math Redesign from A Faculty Perspective" (2017). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. William & Mary. Paper 1499449918.
http://doi.org/10.21220/W4ZT09
