ECC Awarded $50,000 Grant to Transform Mathematics Pathways and Close Equity Gaps

Elgin, IL — March 13, 2026 — Elgin Community College (ECC) has been awarded a $50,000 grant to implement a bold and comprehensive developmental mathematics reform initiative titled “Strengthening Mathematical Pathways at Elgin Community College: Faculty Capacity‑Building, Embedded Coaching, and Scalable Recitation‑Based Support Models.”

The proposal was developed and submitted by Dr. Farah Bennani, dean of math, science, and engineering at ECC, who will provide strategic leadership and oversee the institution-wide implementation of the initiative. The award reflects ECC’s forward‑thinking leadership and institutional commitment to advancing equitable student success through systemic, evidence‑based reform.

 This initiative confronts longstanding disparities in mathematics progression by simultaneously strengthening faculty capacity and embedding high-impact academic supports directly within developmental and gateway math courses. The goal is clear: remove mathematics as a structural barrier to degree completion, transfer, and career advancement.

Through this initiative, ECC will:

• Launch a structured professional development program for full-time and adjunct mathematics faculty grounded in developmental pedagogy, active learning, and equity-centered teaching.
• Embed Mathematics Success Coaches within developmental and gateway math sections to provide targeted, real-time academic support and early intervention.
• Scale recitation-based instructional models across 100% of developmental math sections and 50% of gateway math sections.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive mathematics equity dashboard to monitor disaggregated outcomes and drive continuous improvement.

By integrating faculty development, embedded coaching, structured recitations, and data-informed decision-making, ECC is building a sustainable and scalable model for mathematics pathway reform.

“For too long, developmental mathematics has operated as a bottleneck rather than a bridge to opportunity,” said Dr. Bennani. “This initiative represents a deliberate institutional shift—from remediation to acceleration, from isolated support to integrated systems, and from reactive interventions to equity-driven design. By unifying faculty development, embedded coaching, structured recitations, and disaggregated data analytics within a single strategic framework, we are redefining how mathematics pathways function. Our aim is not simply to improve course pass rates, but to transform the student experience, eliminate structural inequities, and establish a scalable model of mathematics reform that can inform policy and practice statewide.”

The initiative positions ECC as a regional leader in developmental education innovation and establishes a model that can be replicated across institutions committed to closing equity gaps in mathematics achievement.