Seneca program to improve math skills receives provincial award from Colleges Ontario
Toronto, February 23, 2009 – A Seneca College project designed to improve math skills in first-year students will receive a provincial award today at the Colleges Ontario 2009 Conference.
The College Mathematics Project is one of seven winners of this year’s Colleges Ontario Awards, which recognize significant achievements in advancing college education in Ontario. The awards will be given out today at 12:30 p.m. at the Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre, 1 Harbour Square, Toronto.
"The College Mathematics Project is playing an important role in helping students, both at Seneca and at colleges throughout the province,” said Dr. Rick Miner, president of Seneca College. "I extend my sincerest congratulations to all the people involved in this important project for their work and the recognition they are receiving today.”
Seneca College initiated the College Mathematics Project in 2004-05 to address low success rates in first-year college mathematics.
The project, headed up by Laurel Schollen, analyzed the records of all students entering all diploma and certificate programs. It determined that part of the reason students were having difficulties in mathematics was because of a failure to select appropriate courses in high school to prepare for college.
Working with 11 Ontario colleges, the College Mathematics Project was the first in Ontario to provide feedback to individual high schools about the success of their graduates, in order to help those schools make adjustments. The findings will also help the Ontario government assess the impact of its secondary school mathematics curriculum.
"This work will help more students to succeed in college and go on to rewarding careers,” Miner said.
The CMP was conducted by a research team from the York/Seneca Institute for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, where timely and collaborative research projects are taking place.
The Colleges Ontario Awards were established in 2000 to recognize individuals, organizations and volunteers who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of Ontario’s college system. The awards are presented in categories such as student leadership, student innovation, distinguished service and more.
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