ALEKS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Senior Year Math Experience for E-learning

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Senior Year Math Experience?

The Senior Year Math Experience is a way to show the California State University that you have the necessary math skills to compete in college level math. All entering students are required to meet the CSU Entry Level Math Requirement.

How can I learn more about the Entry Level Math Requirement?

The CSU Math Success Web site discusses the Entry Level Math Requirement in detail. See www.csumathsuccess.org .

What do I need to do for the Senior Year Math Experience?

There are several criteria for participation:

1. You need to have completed the appropriate California Subject Test (CST) along with the extra fifteen CSU questions in your Junior Year. This CST exam must be in algebra 2 or summative mathematics. 2. You must have received a letter from your high school reporting the results of the STAR exam and stating that you are “Conditionally Exempt”. Please keep this letter for further documentation. 3. If you have received the above mentioned letter with a “Conditionally Exempt” status, you have had the option of doing several things in your senior year to satisfy the CSU math requirement. You can take either a full year of mathematics at the Algebra 2, level or higher, enroll in a science course with the prerequisite of Algebra, or enroll in an intermediate algebra course at a community college. If you are currently doing any of these things and you anticipate that you will pass the mentioned course in which you are enrolled, then you are already on your way to satisfying the CSU ELM Requirement. 4. If you are conditionally exempt and are not taking any of the courses mentioned above, then it is strongly suggested that you enroll in the e- learning Intermediate Algebra course through the CSU.

How do I know if I should participate?

You should participate if you think that you may attend a CSU campus, you know that you are conditionally exempt, and you aren’t in the process of completing an approved senior year math experience course (as described above). You should also be willing to work 4 to 5 hours a week independently on this course. What do I need to do to sign up for this e-learning course?

You can register for this course at www.syme.csumathsuccess.org until February 28, 2004. This course will cost $45. You will need to pay on-line using a credit card.

I haven't been accepted to a CSU campus yet. Why should I enroll in this program now?

Although you can be admitted to a CSU campus without satisfying the CSU Entry Level Mathematics Requirement, you may have to take several developmental math courses to prepare for your required college level math course. This is an expensive and time consuming option since you will receive no credit toward your degree for these developmental courses. Additionally, if you do not take and pass these required developmental math courses after your first year, you may be dismissed from the University.

Shouldn't I just take the ELM Exam instead of participating in this program?

Passing the ELM is another way to meet the Entry Level Mathematics Requirement. See www.csumathsuccess.org for a description of the ELM exam, practice questions, and an ALEKS tutorial for the ELM exam.

What is ALEKS?

ALEKS is an online system for education in mathematics and other subjects, accessed over the World Wide Web by means of individual student subscriptions. ALEKS had been developed to accurately assess mastery of concepts, determining what students know and what they are currently prepared to learn. ALEKS guides students toward mastery by determining optimized learning paths for understanding the subject matter. ALEKS combines the advantages of one-on-one instruction and evaluation with the convenience of being on-call, on your computer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How much does ALEKS cost?

ALEKS costs $45 and is available at www.syme.csumathsuccess.org.

How many hours a week will I need to dedicate to this program?

The time spent on SYME depends on your background. We suggest a minimum total of 50 hours before you try a proctored assessment. You may need to spend more or less time to prepare for the assessment.

What math topics will be covered in this program? The course will be Intermediate Algebra. Most of the topics are covered in Algebra 2.

Is there a schedule, or will I be working alone?

You will be tracked by a CSU instructor who will communicate test times to you.

Who will be supporting me?

A CSU professor will serve as your ALEKS Instructor (AI) and will be available to respond to a limited number of questions every week. We recommend that you obtain an additional tutor. Your high school math teacher may agree to answer questions for you or you may wish to hire a tutor. You may decide to purchase Net Tutor on-line through www.syme.csumathsuccess.org for extra help.

How much contact will I have with my ALEKS Instructor?

The AI will commit 2 hours per week for every 45 students that they serve. Your contact time will vary depending on the needs of the 45 students.

When will my ALEKS Instructor be available?

Your AI will be available by e-mail and will hold office hours for phone calls twice a week. You are encouraged to contact your AI by using the message center in ALEKS. The AI will inform you when your questions will be answered weekly. Additionally, you will be provided with an ALEKS technical support phone number to help you with any technical problems.

Can I work with my high school math teacher instead of an AI?

You are encouraged to work with your high school math teacher. Your final assessment may be proctored by your high school math teacher. This assessment must be arranged by your AI and your high school math teacher.

Where will I be assessed if my high school teacher is unable to proctor my final assessment?

Your final assessment may take place at one of the following CSU campuses: Sacramento, San Marcos, Bakersfield, and Los Angeles. Additionally, we will be proctoring tests at other CSU campuses to accommodate large group needs. Final assessments will be scheduled in March, April, and May.

Which assessment should I take? When you have mastered 60% of the Intermediate Algebra curriculum as assessed by ALEKS you may take a final assessment in either March or April. All others may take their final assessment in May.

How long will the program last?

The program will last from February 1 until the end of May. Once you pass the proctored exam, you have completed the program.

How do I pass the program?

You will pass the program when you have achieved 75 percent mastery on a proctored ALEKS assessment. Additionally, you will need to have a copy of your Early Assessment letter stating that you are conditionally exempt.

What happens if I pass the proctored exam?

If you provide evidence that you are “conditionally exempt” to your AI, you will be cleared of any preparatory math requirements and will be able to enroll in your required college level math course.

What if I don't pass the proctored exam?

You will have 3 opportunities to pass the exam. If you do not succeed in passing the exam, you will be required to take an ELM exam at your local CSU campus.

How do I sign up for the proctored exam?

Your AI will contact you with details about signing up for the proctored exam once you purchase ALEKS.

What do I do if the CSU campus where the exam is being proctored is not close to me?

You may ask your high school teacher to proctor your ALEKS assessment set up by your AI. Your AI must schedule an ALEKS assessment at the exact time agreed on by your high school teacher. If you are unable to arrange a proctored assessment with your high school teacher and unable to travel to your AI’s campus, your AI may arrange for your ALEKS assessment to be proctored at your nearest CSU campus.

How will my exemption status be reported to my CSU campus?

Your status will be reported to the CSU campus that you will be attending by your AI.

How long do the ALEKS tutorials last?

The license enables you to access an ALEKS tutorial for a period of 18 weeks from the time that you register with ALEKS.

How much do the ALEKS tutorials cost?

The price is $45.

What are the technical requirements for using ALEKS?

The following paragraphs provide the technical requirements for ALEKS in summary form:

Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP: Pentium PC 133Mhz, 32MB of RAM, Internet connection of at least 28K, and Internet Explorer 4.0 and later, or Netscape 4.5 to 4.8, or Netscape 6.0 and later, or Mozilla, or Firefox, or AOL 5.0 and later.

Macintosh: MacOS X version 10.2 and higher, PowerMac or iMac, 32MB of RAM, Internet connection of at least 28K, and Netscape 6.0 and later, or Mozilla, or Firefox, or Internet Explorer 5.2 and later. MacOS 7.6 or higher, PowerMac or iMac, 32MB of RAM, Internet connection of at least 28K, and Netscape 4.5 to 4.8.

Your browser should be configured with Java enabled. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer usually ship with Java. You can also install Sun Microsystems' Java® VM, version 1.4.1+, which can be obtained from Sun.

Note that any of the kinds of direct connection (cable, ISDN, DSL) that are typical in computer labs are adequate for use with ALEKS. If your computer lab has security safeguards in place, you will need the cooperation of your LAN administrator, system administrator, or lab technician to install the ALEKS plug- in.

If you have America Online 4.0 you will have to upgrade to America Online 5.0 or higher in order to use ALEKS. You can upgrade from AOL.

How do I contact ALEKS customer support?

ALEKS Customer Support can be reached at (714) 245-7191 x201 or at [email protected].