Our Journey from Collaborative Coordination to a Specifications-Based Grading Approach in Calculus 1

Student success in calculus courses has been a concern at our institution in the past decade. In a previous paper, we described how an evolving coordinated instructional team was able to increase student success. This paper describes subsequent work. During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, there was a significant and inequitable decrease in student success. Using the work of previous instructional teams to prepare for the fall 2020 semester, the authors transitioned to (1) a specifications-based grading approach that focuses on clearly stated objectives with assessments linked to them; (2) a more robust use of online learning supports including the university learning management system; and (3) an online mathematics teaching and learning platform. We hoped such changes would lead to a more equitable and inclusive course with improved student success.