Transitional Math Resources for Educators

ECC works with the local school districts to provide high school seniors with the opportunity to increase their college and career readiness while in high school. Students who receive a C or better may enroll in a college-level math class when entering any Illinois community college or participating four-year post-secondary institution.

High school students who have not demonstrated college-level readiness as of their junior year can enroll in these courses during their senior year to strengthen their college preparation skills and future careers.

Need District 509 Resources?

Educators needing access to District 509 shared resources should contact the Dean’s office (see sidebar) to access the shared Transitional Math course resources.

Lessons Learned

  1. Postsecondary and secondary curriculum development processes differ in ways that can make collaboration challenging.
    1. At the high school level, teachers, curriculum specialists, and administrators are responsible for designing the curriculum and deploying it to teachers. 
    2. At the postsecondary level, faculty are responsible for this work and move the new curriculum through the approval process.
    3. Secondary curriculum approval processes can take as long as two years, whereas college timelines are somewhat shorter.
  2. Developing consistent assessments across four school districts requires ongoing collaboration, trust-building, and honest discussions.
    1. We needed to make adjustments to the midterm and final assessments after the first administration.
    2. We needed to make adjustments to the answers keys and rubrics after the first administration of the midterm and final assessments.
    3. We needed to develop clearer expectations for consistency in the use of the rubric.
  3. Instructors benefit greatly from collaborating with one another to share ideas and solve problems.
    1. Transitional math teachers across school districts and community college math faculty learned from one another through new instructor training and ongoing professional development sessions.
    2. Instructors, like students, may not engage in optional training. If the collaboration and/or learning matters, make it required
    3. Labor agreement stipulations may require professional development opportunities to be planned a year or more in advance. 

Transitional Math Courses Offered by District

The public education partners in Community College District 509 have collaborated to develop these three transitional math courses currently offered, as noted below, in all high school districts.

Shared Resources For Educators


Need District 509 resources? Educators needing access to shared resources can contact the Dean’s office (see sidebar).