Erin Severs believes that meeting the needs of underprepared students and supporting the faculty who do this work can only continue to be more central to the success of higher education in this country. With more and more students testing into developmental courses, and an unfortunately low completion rate for these students (25% complete a degree…

Katie Hern is an English Instructor at Chabot College and Co-Founder of the California Acceleration Project (CAP), a professional development network that supports the state's 113 community colleges to transform remediation and increase student completion and equity. Hern speaks nationally on remediation reform and integrated reading and writing.…

In 2007, the president of Shelton State Community College in Alabama announced that with more than 60% of incoming freshmen placing into developmental courses, the college had a moral and ethical obligation to provide top-quality opportunities for underprepared students. He appointed a team to investigate options for improving services and…

In today's rapidly changing global economy, "21st century skills" means much more than proficiency in basic academic subjects. One of the most important noncognitive competencies for student success is conscientiousness, which encompasses traits such as perseverance, self-regulation, resilience, and responsibility. Researchers have found…

More high school students today are graduating college-ready, career-ready or both, thanks to an emphasis by modern business and industry, strong support from states and more rigorous learning experiences at schools across the nation. It has been said many times, but now it is sinking in. From hospitals to factories, employees need to know how to…

For the first time in the nation's history 46 States and the District of Columbia have agreed that all K-12 students will be educated along a common continuum of high academic expectations known as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Having clear, consistent standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics will help ensure that all…

Robert L. Somers, who directs the Telementoring Project at Appalachian State University, explains the project's efforts to develop inservice training packages and deliver them to developmental educators nationwide using a variety of telecommunications technologies. Reviews technical and financial aspects of project participations. (AYC)

Presents suggestions from four former presidents of the National Association of Developmental Education on how educators might use a developmental education background as an asset rather than a liability in career development. Suggestions include: (1) broaden your view of developmental education; (2) generalize your skills; and (3) don't run…

Community college faculty who teach developmental English classes face numerous pedagogical challenges. Graduate programs, in-service training, and professional association activities help prepare faculty for these challenges, but additional support is needed.

Miami-Dade Community College (Florida) and Joliet Junior College (Illinois), have institutionalized their commitment to encouraging cultural pluralism. Miami-Dade has established developmental studies courses for students and faculty development courses for both new and continuing teachers. Joliet fosters and teaches about diversity through…

Effective professional learning requires that staff developers thoughtfully plan to meet varying teacher needs and be responsive to differences--that they model the differentiation teachers will practice in the classroom. Staff developers must be mindful of participants' current learning needs and plan according to their readiness, interest, and…

Describes the Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) process which involved 10 panelists in a three-day seminar to define "developmental educators" and identify the competencies they need. Provides and lists eight uses for a chart which enumerates, in order of importance, eight competency areas and specific competencies within each area. (CAM)

The purpose of the project is to facilitate academically disadvantaged nursing students' success in a baccalaureate nursing program. The program's three main components are student support services, faculty development, and peer tutoring. Student services include diagnostic testing, group sessions, individual tutoring as needed, special workshops…

A project is described that was undertaken by the Developmental Studies Department at Wayne Community College (Michigan), an urban multi-campus institution of 25,000 students serving an entire county involving research in the psychology of the new adult learner. The approach used was to systematically build a classroom environment that responded…

This three-part report describes the Bridging Program at San Diego Mesa College (SDMC), a basic skills program to prepare students functioning at the 7th grade level or below and to thus provide a bridge between developmental education and adult basic education (ABE). Part I begins with a review of the program's background and a list of its…