This study was commissioned by the California Community Colleges System Office to identify effective practices in basic skills programs. The Center for Student Success (CSS), which is affiliated with the Research and Planning (RP) Group for California Community Colleges, was selected to conduct the study. There are three major components of the…

Suggests using principles of instruction grounded in prose learning research to develop successful college developmental skills programs. (AEA)

Discusses the meaning and extent of developmental education in community colleges and higher education. Presents some current controversies, examines outcomes-related data, and addresses issue of faculty training in the field. (Contains 57 references.) (AUTH/NB)

Based on a review of research and literature on student academic performance, provides an overview of the state of basic skills (developmental) instruction in the two-year college. Discusses the characteristics of successful basic skills programs. (DMM)

Describes the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) instrument, which is intended to measure adolescent and adult ESL students' metacognitive awareness and perceived use of reading strategies while reading academic materials such as textbooks. Discusses the development of SORS and offers guidance for using it as a means of raising learner awareness…

An analysis of research on the effectiveness of developmental education is presented in this report. Chapter I highlights different perspectives on the role of developmental education at the college level; examines definitions and discusses the mission of developmental education; and puts forward a methodology for measuring its effectiveness.…

A study of student skill levels and remediation needs was conducted at Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC). The study involved: (1) a survey of the literature on the underprepared learner, basic skills, remedial and developmental education, learning skills centers, assessment and placement, attrition, faculty development, and program…

Drawing from an extensive literature review and interviews with faculty and administrators in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), this study report examines successful practices in basic skills instruction in community colleges. After providing background on the importance of basic skills programs in light of the increasing number…

The question of whether basic skills courses belong in higher education is examined through a review of the literature. The following issues are discussed in terms of opposing and supporting positions: (1) economic concerns (recruitment of a wider pool of students necessitate basic skills courses but preserve enrollment levels); (2) academic…

This report reviews issues surrounding higher education developmental education programs that support under-prepared college students; especially the provision of below-college-level developmental courses at public institutions of higher education in Ohio. Information was gathered from 25 state-assisted campuses. Analysis indicated that…

According to 1995 data collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics, first-year students at public community colleges were twice as likely to be enrolled in a remedial education course than their public four-year counterparts. Ninety-five percent of community colleges offer remedial instruction, yet critics of the community college…

Drawing from studies conducted at Prince George's Community College (PGCC) between 1989 and 1991, this report offers a profile of developmental students at PGCC and an analysis of the remedial education needs of fall 1990 first-time students. The first section of the report reviews findings from a number of statewide and institutional studies…

Programs providing academic support services in colleges and universities and the evaluation of these services are reviewed. Attention is also directed to the need for opportunities in higher education for students with marginal high school academic records, and responses to the need by institutions of higher education. It is suggested that there…

Information and exercises in this two-part learning module are provided to acquaint instructors with the educational theory behind competency-based education (CBE) and to help them apply this theory in the classroom. Part I of the module discusses: (1) the defining characteristics of CBE, in which instructional processes are designed to facilitate…