Investigating Prerequisite Grade Requirements in the Calculus Sequence

The Valparaiso University Mathematics and Computer Science Department has been debating a shift from a D- to a C- in the calculus sequence prerequisite grade requirement. We first researched policies at other colleges and universities. Next, we gathered data on students\u27 self-predicted grades by distributing pre- and post-semester surveys and measuring the accuracy of the results in comparison to the actual grade data. Using the surveys, we also associated students\u27 expectations with their majors. In the end, we investigated whether or not prerequisite grades can predict subsequent course performance. Statistical analysis of the past four years of math student data determined that a student who received a C or lower in the prerequisite class generally would not improve in the subsequent course