New guidebook aims to help colleges fix introductory math

Every Learner Everywhere and partners released a free guidebook to help colleges and universities redesign introductory mathematics, a course sequence that drives high DFW rates and blocks completion for many students. The framework focuses on cross-functional teams, self-assessment and planning, with a case study showing how one research university applied the model across Algebra, Precalculus and Calculus I.

Why it matters: - Introductory math is one of the biggest academic barriers to college completion. - High DFW rates in these courses hit students from historically underserved communities especially hard. - The guidebook is meant to help institutions turn proven math-reform research into practice.

What happened: - Every Learner Everywhere, with TPSE Math, Project EMBER, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities, released Eliminating Mathematics Barriers through Evidence-based Reforms: A Guidebook on Aug. 4, 2026. - The guidebook is designed for colleges and universities that want to reform introductory mathematics courses. - The resource is free through the Every Learner Everywhere resource library.

The details: - The guidebook is authored by April Ström of Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Mary E. Pilgrim of San Diego State University and Jessica Gehrtz of the University of Texas at San Antonio. - The framework centers on three milestones: building a cross-functional team, assessing current practices and planning for transformation. - The Project EMBER Self-Assessment Tool includes seven rubrics. - Those rubrics cover student success data, course structure, instructor professional development and instructional assessment, among other areas. - The guidebook walks teams through a collaborative visioning process to produce a shared direction for change. - The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives 4.0 International License. - It is intended for faculty, department chairs, deans, provosts and advisors focused on student success in introductory math.

Between the lines: - The release argues that the main barrier is not a lack of solutions, but a lack of implementation support. - Project EMBER identifies teaching-focused faculty as central to sustained reform. - Internal Project EMBER data show teaching-focused faculty make up roughly one-fourth of full-time faculty at research institutions. - Those instructors often are left out of institutional decision-making, even though they teach and coordinate most introductory math courses at research universities. - The guidebook also broadens the change effort to include department chairs, deans, provosts, advisors and students. - Dave Kung, TPSE’s executive director, said implementation of proven reforms requires knowledge and support. - Melissa Lindsey, University of Wisconsin’s Director of Instructional Staff Operations and a Project EMBER leader, said empowering teaching-focused faculty will be critical to success.

What's next: - The guidebook points institutions toward active pedagogy, corequisite course models, redesigned math pathways and technology-enabled curricula. - A case study in the guidebook shows a large urban research university applying the framework across College Algebra, Precalculus and Calculus I. - That university adopted active learning, corequisite supports and tighter course coordination to improve outcomes across the sequence. - Colleges and universities can download the guidebook at Every Learner Everywhere.