Gateway Math Lab Dual Enrollment Model

For high schools looking for dual enrollment partnerships that can meaningfully decrease the rate of college dropouts for the “mighty middle.”  

CPC’s Gateway Math Lab developed out of the Innovative Design Lab at CUNY LaGuardia Community College. While nationally there have been positive trends in college attrition, the “mighty middle” continue to struggle academically. Students in the 2.0-3.0 GPA range that benefit from supports and accommodations at the high school level often struggle in the absence of these supports when they get to college. Targeting this middle band of students is where we can make critical shifts in college persistence outcomes.

CPC is helping college and high school partners design Pre-Gateway Math dual enrollment courses that target the prerequisite math skills needed to master the freshman year Gateway Math course. While IB and AP Calculus students are typical participants in dual enrollment programs, the benefits of strengthening preemptive efforts for the students who will predictably need remediation in college creates a powerful ripple effect for students both during and after high school. The Gateway Math Lab program bridges remedial gaps while students develop transferable and enduring skills that set them up for success in college and the workforce.

Studies have shown that students who fail Gateway Math courses are 1.7x less likely to persist to a second semester.  Gateway Math Lab students fulfill their Gateway Math credit in 12th grade, overcoming one of the biggest hurdles to first-year persistence before starting college.