The purpose of this action research case study was to explore attitudes and beliefs regarding strategies to improve math placement scores for low-socioeconomic community college students at an urban campus. Using a pragmatic worldview, qualitative techniques were used to gather data to explore this problem at a single community college located in an underperforming school district. The data for this study were gathered from 80 student questionnaires, 624 responses to an online student survey, testing and classroom observations, 23 interviews, and a pilot study of a refresher course with 32 students. While some individuals would benefit from a short-term refresher course, identifying those individuals is difficult. The findings suggest that by using multiple measures such as prior academic achievement (successful completion of Algebra II) and diagnostic assessments, students could be identified and recommended for effective and appropriate interventions. The findings from this research suggest that effective strategies to improve math placement scores fall into four categories: improvements prior to testing; the structure and content of the test preparation course; improvements to the testing experience; and professional development for the faculty. To institute significant change, effective testing policy and practices need to be an institutional strategic priority. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]