Johnson County Community College (JCCC) has seen an increase in students passing math courses after implementing reforms to its math curriculum. The changes, which were made in response to low success rates in College Algebra, have resulted in more students passing their math courses on the first try.

Background

For over two decades, Kansas colleges and universities required most students to pass College Algebra to earn a degree or certificate. However, approximately 50 percent of students in the course failed to pass with a C grade or above each year. At JCCC, faculty recognized the same trend, with success rates hovering around 50 percent among students taking College Algebra between 2021 and 2025.

In 2022, the Kansas Board of Regents received a grant to reform mathematics curricula at higher education institutions statewide. The new math curriculum introduces multiple “pathways” so students take math courses that are relevant to their academic programs and careers.

Reforms and Results

JCCC piloted the new Math Pathways courses in Fall 2024, and public colleges and universities across Kansas began a soft launch in Fall 2025. Instead of automatically enrolling in College Algebra, students are now placed into one of three gateway math courses. Students who need additional support can enroll in a corequisite support course alongside their gateway math class.

By Fall 2026, all Kansas colleges and universities must have developed and adopted the state’s Math Pathways courses and corequisite support courses. Preliminary data from JCCC indicate that the reforms are working, with course success rates increasing from approximately 50% to 60% by Fall 2025.

Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.