Having garnered national attention, high failure rates in developmental education present a significant barrier to state and national policymakers' goals of increasing the percentage of adults who earn a college credential. However, a majority of the research fails to consider why students place into developmental education. This piece examines a…

Initially drawing from, yet then expanding on the research discussed in this volume, this article discusses specific measures that practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can take to support purpose among youth. Strategies for educators include utilizing practical purpose teaching tools, such as purpose interviews, purpose-related…

Community colleges, which serve almost half of postsecondary students in the United States, are receiving ever-increasing attention from policymakers and researchers. Although these institutions have always served a wide range of people in their communities, the number of students who enter community college requiring additional preparation before…

The portrait of the American college senior is a mix of economic pressures and shifting choices. Understanding that the senior year represents another critical transition point for college students, many U.S. colleges and universities are taking intentional steps to help students bring closure to their collegiate experience and accomplish the…

Identifies ways in which remedial/developmental programs are like and unlike other academic programs for evaluation purposes. Offers a four-stage evaluation model representing four different levels of activity and points at which evaluation can be conducted. (DMM)

Discusses ways that the Learning Assistance Center (LAC) at California State University, Long Beach, has developed to assist large numbers of students to develop learning skills. Describes LAC's classroom learning skills workshops; time management workshop; study/reading workshop; and management strategies used to elicit and maintain faculty…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 13 publications, released between 1960 and 1983, which have had a major influence on the field of developmental education. (AYC)

Examines the differences between remedial and developmental reading programs and their places in higher education. Finds a consistency among definitions of remedial reading but no clear consensus for developmental reading. Sees a clear delineation between remedial and developmental students. Offers guidelines for programs and instruction…

Presents a series of exercises for developmental students which were designed to help students develop the cognitive skills related to the understanding of the grammatical structure and relationships of the English language rather than focusing on grammar itself. Describes how the tasks were implemented in class. (DMM)

Reviews the literature on the benefits of mentor relationships for both the protege and the mentor. Suggests that experienced developmental educators mentor colleagues new to the field and that developmental students be encouraged to find and cultivate mentoring relationships. (DMM)

Considers the characteristics of developmental educators, trends and pressures for change in the field, and ways of responding to changes and possible futures. Suggests that developmental educators build on their flexibility and adaptability, work together, maintain a student orientation, and strive toward professionalism. (DMM)

Describes an approach to skills counseling that goes beyond what is often done in universities. Includes examples of forms that are used to record work done with students. (AEA)

Describes the involvement of the library staff in developmental studies instruction at Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Tennessee. Examines the different approaches to library instruction used in English, developmental reading, and study skills classes. (DMM)

Offers a review of research conducted on reading comprehension, focusing on studies of the cognitive processes involved in the comprehension of the meaning of the microstructures and macrostructures of a text. (DMM)

Presents three categories of approaches to assess the impact of college supplemental instruction (SI) programs on an institution: anecdotal information; descriptive statistics; and inferential statistics. For SI programs required to justify their existence, these methods include a range of assessment devices from simple testimony to rigorous…