To succeed in fields like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), having a strong foundation in mathematics is crucial. As a parent, I encouraged my sons to retake math courses in college to solidify their skills and boost their GPA. However, a new law, Assembly Bill 1705, will impact STEM students in community colleges starting fall 2025.
This law aims to increase equity and student success by restricting placement in remedial courses without college credit. But, it extends these restrictions to credit-bearing prerequisites for calculus for STEM majors. This means students won’t have the opportunity to strengthen their math skills with foundational courses like trigonometry, college algebra, or precalculus.
Research shows that these policies may not benefit students in the long run. Community colleges typically use multiple measures to evaluate math proficiency and place STEM majors in foundational courses that carry college credit. However, under AB 1705, colleges can only enroll students in calculus prerequisites if strict validation requirements are met.
Unfortunately, these requirements are challenging to meet, as shown by a statewide study that failed to validate any group of students needing prerequisite classes. This means colleges can’t require or place STEM majors in calculus prerequisites, leading to students being enrolled directly in calculus.
The legislation allows students to drop calculus and enroll in a prerequisite, but the Chancellor’s Office concluded that no group would benefit from such prerequisites. This decision will accelerate the elimination of foundational math courses at community colleges, impacting underprepared STEM majors, especially underrepresented minorities.
As a math professor, I believe the implementation of AB 1705 will have disastrous consequences. Eliminating prerequisites will hinder students from building a strong math foundation, leading to grade inflation, higher failure rates, and unprepared STEM majors transferring to universities.
The Chancellor’s Office must make corrections to avoid a STEM preparation crisis by fall 2025. The law itself needs revisions to achieve its equity goals, and we must pay attention to research on the long-term effects of these restrictions on math prerequisites.
In conclusion, restricting access to foundational math courses will harm STEM students, particularly underrepresented minorities, and discourage students from pursuing STEM majors. It’s crucial to address these issues to ensure students have the support they need to succeed in STEM fields.
