Placement, Retention, and Success: A Longitudinal Study of Mathematics and Retention

This study looked at undergraduate students' scores on a mathematics placement exam, mathematics courses taken and grades received, and persistence toward a degree. It was determined that a student's timely progress toward a four-year degree is influenced by the student's initial score on the mathematics placement exam and by subsequent performance in mathematics courses. Analysis of longitudinal data suggests that students tend to maintain the level of mathematics skills with which they entered college, and students who graduate in four years seem to increase their knowledge of elementary mathematics during this time.