| The goal of this study was to examine the factors that predict the academic success or retention of the minority students in remedial math courses at an urban community college. Data were from a five-year longitudinal and comprehensive study of goals, success and academic patterns of an urban community college. The theoretical framework relied on the Bean and Metzner conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition. It was concluded from the study that the factors that predict the academic success in the minority student math pipeline were identified as: highest math placement, enrollment status, attendance, hours of employment, opportunity to transfer, overall GPA, and quality of teaching. The predictors of course completion in remedial math courses were: ethnicity, gender, age, average grade in high school, highest math placement, and academic advising, where age and average grade in high school are the best predictors. The predictors of course completion in basic math courses were; age, average grade in high school, highest math placement, overall GPA, and academic advising. The predictors of course completion in intermediate math courses were: age, average grade in high school, highest math placement, and overall GPA. The predictors of course completion in transfer math courses were: ethnicity, average grade in high school, highest math placement, overall GPA, and academic advising, where ethnicity was the best predictor. Furthermore, overall GPA is the best predictor for course completion in the remedial math pipeline in the basic, intermediate, and transfer math courses.;The implication for the community college administrator is the necessity for further study that examines the scheduling of remedial math courses that meet: high school performance prerequisites, enrollment status and opportunity to transfer, for future curriculum implementations. Further research is recommended using separate prediction equations for ethnicity and quality of teaching. Replication of this study is recommended throughout the country in order to implement a common perspective for evaluating the effectiveness of remedial math pipelines in community colleges throughout this country. |
