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For many students who enter college, deficiencies in math may prevent them from earning their degree. In response, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO), has offered a series of free math preparation “bootcamps” during the summer for the past three years. These programs help students build their confidence in math and helps them complete any required remediation (required courses to prepare for college-level math). This summer, NEO offered two Math Bootcamps, serving nearly fifty students. Kenton Adams, math instructor, along with NEO student math tutors Jesus Covarrubias and Morgan Turner, provided one-on-one instruction to participants during the sessions. “Math Bootcamp is a great program for students who struggle in math,” said Adams. “At the end of the course the students have the opportunity to test out of remedial math classes, so we spent time working on basic math skills to get them ready for college level math.”
If students are able to test out of the remedial math courses, they can save time and money completing their academic program. “Data shows that 70% of our students who participate in a self-paced summer math bootcamp meet the cut-off scores to place into a higher level math course,” said Rachel Lloyd, Title III grant director and coordinator of the Math Bootcamps. “Participants also nearly double their odds of passing a math class the following fall semester.”
The Math Bootcamp was piloted with student athletes and has now become a major asset for the NEO football program. Coach Clay Patterson shared that the program was incredibly beneficial for his student-athletes. “This program is huge for us, it gives us the ability to help our student-athletes catch up on math skills and accelerate their graduation,” said Patterson. “The overwhelming majority of student athletes in the program tested up at least one level of Algebra. It was awesome to see the excitement on the students’ faces when they excelled in the test and achieved their goals.”
Along with the Math Bootcamps, NEO offers a variety of student services. These include technology support, tutoring services, and the Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA). For more information about these services, contact CASA at tina.hancock@neo.edu or 918-540-6004.
