Embedded Tutors for Remedial Math

Community college systems across the US have impacted the higher education goals and purposes in American education in profound ways. The mission of the community college is often seen as an opportunity for underprepared students to earn a degree or obtain a certification. The National Center for Educational Statistics (2014) reported that 60% of community college students are placed into a remedial course during their first year of college. As a result, these courses often delay completion of gateway courses that create the pathway to degree completion. According to Boylan, Bonham, and Bliss (1992), through developmental education, underprepared students are provided the necessary interventions and skills, such as tutoring, needed to pass gateway courses and complete their degree programs. Embedded tutoring is characterized as a program where a tutor works in the classroom under the instructor's guidance to help students understand course concepts and enhance student engagement (Calma & Eggins, 2012). This study focused on a remedial math intervention program developed for students in a community college located in rural Alabama during the academic year of 2018-2019. Specifically, this study will evaluate the impact of an embedded tutor program for remedial math students.