Optimizing the Success of Struggling Students: A Proven Strategy

Abstract

In this article, we present an intervention that helped the majority of borderline and struggling students succeed in their Precalculus course. The author first implemented the Tailored Action Plan for Struggling Students (TAPSS) in the Fall semester 2018 for the Precalculus class he was teaching. The results were so impressive that in his role as coordinator of the Precalculus course, he extended this approach to all sections of the Precalculus course in Spring semester 2019. This technique has contributed significantly to the unprecedented pass rates of students who have taken Precalculus during the last three semesters.  That rate is now 86%. Prior to the redesign, the pass rates in Precalculus were less than 50%. TAPSS is applicable to any discipline (scientific or literacy) and any students’ level (upper division or lower division). It has the advantage of being independent of the educational system.