For many English language learners, the endgame isn't passing state exams--it's attending and graduating from college. Yet schools often focus on a lower target: proficiency. To support the transition of English language learners to postsecondary success, schools should create formal transition plans, provide differentiated guidance, focus on…

The number of linguistically and culturally diverse students has been rapidly increasing in the United States. English language learner (ELL) enrollment has increased more than 50 percent from 1995-1996 to 2005-2006, composing about 10 percent of the total number of Pre-K-12 enrollment. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that 40 percent of the…

A previous working paper argued, that, to understand basic skills education, it is necessary to observe classrooms to see what the "instructional triangle" involving the instructor, students, and content is like. This working paper presents the results of observing classes in 13 community colleges. It starts with a conceptualization of…

As English as Second Language (ESL) students move past their first college year toward degree completion, they may find themselves struggling on their own. This article describes one community college's approach to supporting ESL students throughout their academic career. English as a Second Language Across the Curriculum (ESLAC) provides…

Chris Altman stresses the importance of helping English language learners ascertain the medium they best work with in interpreting information presented in class. Altman reminds us that meaning does not come directly from teachers giving students information, but from students productively making meaning and clarifying understanding through a…

Community college leaders need honest information about what's working in the community college and need to be challenged about the things that are not. State Legislatures and Congress need updated facts to assist them in making wise funding decisions. Community college advocates need updated information to assist them in their advocacy work, and…

States that second-language acquisition students enrolled in developmental courses share the problem of making the transition from the personal to the abstract in discussing and reading academic topics. Reports on the collaboration aimed at increasing students' understanding of complex sociological and anthropological concepts while at the same…

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…

A comprehensive developmental studies program was initiated during Fall 1980 at Navarro College to help Micronesian and other international students become acquainted with American culture and to assist them in the areas of basic skills development, English as a second language (ESL), and career planning. The program offered a special course…

A discussion of pragmatic issues in both developmental studies (DS) and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) instruction at the college level argues that because the two fields have common problems, challenges, and objectives, they have become homogenized as one in many institutions. Because full-time college faculty avoid teaching developmental…

A basic writing course at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, serves students underprepared for first-year composition. The student population is culturally diverse, varying widely in ability and background. The course has evolved from a basic syllabus designed to teach writing skills to a more comprehensive, student-centered curriculum…

The second in a series on service-learning in the community college, this monograph presents 14 essays by community college faculty, chronicling their experiences in developing service-learning activities. Following two introductory essays describing the current status of service-learning and the purpose and organization of the monograph, the…

The Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) provides an extensive program of support services to integrate handicapped students whenever possible into existing programs. Concerted efforts are first made during the admissions process when handicapped students are identified and students are provided with the assistance they need to take required…

This report summarizes the results of academic, career and technical, adult education, and developmental education programs that were reviewed during fiscal year 2005. Summaries include both program strengths and the common challenges colleges face in keeping instruction relevant while maintaining cost-efficiency. Specific quality improvements at…

This two-part report describes the developmental studies program at Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC) and provides a summary of 1980-81 use figures and evaluations for LAPC's Study Skills Center. After noting the increasing need for developmental studies, the report indicates the methods used to assess students' reading, writing, and mathematics…