A new initiative from UT Austin aims to drastically improve students’ college readiness and success in mathematics. Supported through a $6.68 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Launch Years looks to align K-12 schools and higher education, addressing barriers that keep many students — especially first-generation college students and those from low-income families — from progressing in their math courses between their junior year of high school and their junior year of college.
“We’ve focused for years on preparing college-ready students. Launch Years recognizes that we must create student-ready colleges,” says Carolyn Landel, managing director of UT’s Dana Center. “Mathematics pathways reforms in higher education have redefined college readiness. Yet, K-12 school districts have had almost no visibility into that changing landscape.”
