Rethinking Developmental Mathematics as Servingness

Developmental mathematics is one of the most pressing educational issues that colleges across the nation are addressing. Many states have passed legislation to address inequities in placement into developmental mathematics while individual colleges are trying innovative approaches to ensure the success of students who enroll in these courses. It’s an issue we may not fully solve, but there are many best practices to learn from. Our guest Dr. Vanessa Hill is a math professor who has spent the last 18 years at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) doing what she loves–teaching mathematics. She has also been involved in efforts to rethink developmental mathematics, both at her college and abroad. She has developed effective models and redesigned curriculum through the lens of servingness, acknowledging that as an HSI, STCC enrolls a large percentage of Black and Latine students who place into developmental mathematics at higher rates than white students. In this episode, we have a lively discussion about developmental mathematics as servingness.

Vanessa Hill (she/her)

Professor, Springfield Technical Community College

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-hill-phd-26718817/

Show Notes:

• https://www.stcc.edu/about-stcc/news/stcc-professor-awarded-fellowship-to-revamp-developmental-math.html 
• https://www.escalaeducation.com/about-escala/copy-of-our-team 
• https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0162373720973727 
• California AB705 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB705 
• California AB1705 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB1705 

APA Citation: 

Garcia, G. A. (Host). (2025, April 6). Rethinking Developmental Mathematics as Servingness. (No. 606) [Audio podcast episode]. In ¿Qué pasa, HSIs?. https://www.ginaanngarcia.com/podcast/episode/a3c06889/rethinking-developmental-mathematics-as-servingness