The Paradox of Throughput: Mathematics Instructors’ and Administrators’ Clashing Perspectives on the Success of Gateway Mathematics Reforms

Objective: This study investigates the perspectives of faculty, administrators, and counselors on a mathematics reform that eliminated most remedial mathematics classes at a Hispanic-serving community college in California. Methods: This study uses qualitative analytical methods to examine interviews with nine mathematics faculty and 10 administrators, counselors, and professional development leaders at the college. Institutional statistics showed that overall mathematics enrollment fell, and course failure rates remained consistent before and after the reform. Interviews were analyzed using an iterative qualitative method to generate themes organized by participants’ institutional roles. Results: The stakeholders’ experience of the reform differed by role. Non-instructional staff highlighted the reform’s success, focusing on the metric of throughput. Instructional faculty expressed frustration with the reform and primarily focused on course pass rates and students’ level of preparation. Throughput, a metric the state used to assess the reform, improved. Conclusion/Contribution: We discuss implications in relation to how the reform effort shifted the institutional mission, and how this Hispanic-serving community college serves its students.