Transitional Math
Triton College partnered with district high schools to offer Transitional Math to
their students. Faculty from the high schools and the college collaborated to develop
and offer three transitional math courses: Technical Math, Quantitative Literacy and
Statistics, and STEM. Almost all high schools in the Triton College district offer
at least one of these courses. Students must qualify, and a passing grade can be used
to bypass Triton’s math placement test, which guarantees the student placement into
a variety of credit level math courses at Triton College, saving them time and money.
All other community colleges statewide and some state universities will accept passing
grades from these courses as placement into credit level math. This website is meant
to be a reference for teachers, students, parents, and counselors wishing to learn
more about Transitional Math. Interested students or parents should contact math faculty,
a counselor, or an administrator at their high school to learn more. High school faculty,
administrators, and counselors with questions or looking to work with Triton college
can contact jeanettebartley@triton.edu for more information.
The Foundation of Transitional Math
“The Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act (PWR Act) includes Transitional Math
(TM), which is built around courses, standalone or embedded, that increase college
readiness for high school seniors. Their key feature is the guaranteed placement a
student receives upon successful completion at all Illinois community colleges and
accepting Illinois universities. Community colleges and high schools work in partnership
to create courses that incorporate the required competencies and policies. These courses
emphasize authentic learning experiences aligned with careers as well as a student’s
life and future coursework. The goal is to provide high school seniors with a new
experience that is motivating as well as valuable in respect to the college placement
achieved.”
Source: PWR Transitional Math (iltransitionalmath.org)
“There are 3 pathways (STEM, Quantitative Literacy/Statistics, and Technical Math) that a high school junior who is not projected ready for college math will pick from based on the student’s college plans. That facet is the most important part in that students who are successful with a C or better in the high school course earn guaranteed placement at any Illinois community college in the outcome course(s) of their path.”
Source: About the PWR Act and TM – PWR Transitional Math (iltransitionalmath.org)
“The courses focus on developing mathematical maturity and college readiness through
problem solving, problem and project-based learning, critical thinking, data analysis,
and the writing and communication of mathematics. Students will develop conceptual
and procedural tools that support the use of mathematical concepts essential for their
pathway in a variety of contexts. The instruction should emphasize the connections
between concepts being taught whenever possible. Emphasis should be placed on extended
modeling and problem solving with techniques and manipulations covered in context.
The appropriate use of technology is strongly encouraged. Some examples include scientific
calculators, graphing calculators, spreadsheets, and/or online programs like Desmos.”
Source: TM comps and policies - 0819 (iltransitionalmath.org)
See the diagram below to find the Transitional Math course offerings at the various schools in the Triton College district.
Students that pass their Transitional Math course with a C or better will bypass the
math placement test at any community college in Illinois and can be placed directly
into an appropriate credit level math course. (Note: students must enroll in the college
course within 18 months of completion of the Transitional Math course for guaranteed
placement.)
Passing Transitional Math while in high schools can save a lot of time and money! Students bypass all remedial classes, saving anywhere from $532 for a student who passes Technical Math all the way up to $1729 for one who passes STEM. A student who passes the Transitional Math STEM course at the high school can potentially save 3 semesters of time by skipping over three developmental courses.
Passing Transitional Math in high school eliminates a giant barrier to college completion: remedial education. Students enrolling in remedial courses complete approximately 13% less of their courses compared to non-remedial peers, and have substantially lower outcomes related to graduation rate, advancement rate, and credit accumulation. There are also instances of students that run out of financial aid because of the remedial classes needed to get to their credit level math requirements.
To qualify for Transitional Math courses during their senior year, students must have met their high school math requirements.
There are three Transitional Math courses to choose from: STEM*, Quantitative Literacy/Statistics, and Technical Math. In deciding which transitional math course students should enroll in, previous performance in math along with academic goals beyond high school should be considered. Each course has a different intended pathway once you complete high school as outlined below for students entering Triton College.
Students that pass their TM math course with a C or higher get guaranteed placement at Triton in the courses displayed. Placement is only guaranteed for 18 months after completion. Examples of related fields, degrees, and certificates are provided for each course. Guaranteed placement at other Illinois community colleges or universities should be researched independently as the course mapping will likely differ.
*To be eligible to enroll in the Transitional Math STEM course, students must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- B or better in Algebra 1 or a higher math course
- Math GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Teacher verification of transitional STEM prerequisite competencies
To qualify for Transitional Math, high school students must meet the following conditions:
- Be a senior (4th year student).
- Have met the high school math graduation requirement (or are concurrently enrolled in the course that will help you meet the graduation requirement).
- College bound, but not projected ready for a college-math course.*
- B or better in Algebra 2
- C or better in a course higher than Algebra 2
- GPA ≥ 3.0
- Standardized Assessment: Math SAT or PSAT ≥ 530 or Math ACT ≥ 22
- Placement test score (such as ALEKS, Accuplacer, Compass, local placement instrument, etc.) into college-level math at the partner community college after taking their placement exam
- Teacher and/or advisor recommendation of college-level math in the senior year
*A high school junior is projected to be ready for college level coursework in mathematics when arriving at a postsecondary institution in Illinois if they meet two or more of the following criteria. This determination is conditional based on enrollment in a senior year of math.
To successfully complete a Transitional Math course and have access to portability statewide and guaranteed placement into a credit-bearing math course, students must:
- Earn a C or higher in the Transitional Math course.
- Register and begin the credit-bearing college course within 18 months of the Transitional Math course completion date.
Students will have guaranteed placement in the credit-bearing math courses that align with their chosen Transitional Math course. Placement will be guaranteed at Triton, all Illinois community colleges, and participating Illinois universities.
Portability codes should be placed on the high school transcripts of students who have successfully completed a Transitional Math course. Community Colleges across Illinois utilize the portability code from the high school transcript to identify students who should be correctly placed in college credit-bearing mathematics courses.
- STEM Pathway
ISBE SIS Code – 02055A001
Portability Code – TM001 - Quantitative Literacy and Statistics Pathway
ISBE SIS Code – 02201A001
Portability Code – TM002 - Tech Pathway
ISBE SIS Code – 02153A001
Portability Code – TM003