| The purpose of this investigation was to study the Davenport Community School System's accelerated mathematics program and to identify characteristics of the students and of the program which might be related to attrition. The questions which were posed focused on the following areas of concern: Selection criteria, extra-curricular activities, parental interest and guidance, student attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics instruction, student interest in mathematics, content of the mathematics program (curriculum), and career and educational goals of students.;Data for this study were collected through the use of questionnaires, mathematics attitude scales, and objective data from students' records.;The conclusions reached included the following. (1) Students claimed that they left the program because of the following reasons: (a) They did not put forth enough effort; (b) They did not see any use for the mathematics they were taking; (c) They disliked the class(es) and/or the teacher(s); (d) They had completed their mathematics requirements; (e) They felt extreme pressure in their mathematics classes as compared to other classes; (f) The pace of the class was too fast. (2) Stayers had higher scores on the Problem Solving subtest of their 5th and 6th grade Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) than leavers. (3) The five cognitive variables which were investigated--arithmetic grade point average, average IQ score, average ITBS Mathematics Concepts subtest score, average ITBS Probelm Solving subtest score, and average ITBS Composite score--accounted for slightly less than 16% of the variance of program status (that is, whether or not a student was a stayer or a leaver). (4) Responses to the Mathematics Attitude Inventory (MAI) indicated that students who stayed in the accelerated program were less anxious about mathematics, had a better self-concept, enjoyed mathematics more, were more highly motivated, felt more strongly that mathematics was valuable, and perceived teacher(s) more positively than students who withdrew from the program. (5) Although the MAI indicated that stayers had a more positive attitude toward mathematics than the leavers, the leavers also had a positive attitude toward mathematics. (6) The rate of withdrawal from the accelerated program was much higher for girls than for boys.;The following recommendations were made for reducing attrition in this program: (1) Use the ITBS Problem Solving subtest score as a selection criteria, and establish a cut-off at the 90th percentile. (2) Explore the possibility of recording and using some affective measures in the selection criteria such as self-concept, interest, motivation, etc. (3) Orient students to the need for mathematics in various careers very early in the program. (4) Occasionally invite professionals who work in mathematics related careers to speak to various mathematics classes. (5) Incorporate more practical applications of mathematics into the mathematics curriculum. (6) Rotate the best teachers for the special accelerated classes. (7) Encourage students who are contemplating leaving to consult with the guidance counselor(s) or mathematics teachers before withdrawing from the program.;The subjects were high school seniors who were selected for an accelerated mathematics program during the 1974-75 academic year when they were 7th graders. The subjects were divided into two groups. One group, called the stayers, consisted of 39 students who were still in the program as of the second semester of their senior year. The members of the other group, called the leavers, were 92 seniors who had been in the program at one time, but left it before the second semester of their senior year. |
