Techniques and procedures used to evaluate the outcomes of the student development program, and to use the evaluation results, are presented. Specific evaluation questions are posed that address overall outcomes, not individual student outcomes, and quantitative measures are suggested to accompany the questions. The measures include statistical…

In 1991, Bronx Community College, in New York, established the Freshman Year Initiative Program (FYIP), a comprehensive academic and counseling program designed to enhance academic achievement for a select group of first-semester students who require at least three remedial courses in English composition, reading, and/or mathematics. In order to…

This descriptive report focuses on Milwaukee Area Technical College's Crossover Program, which was designed to help students who have demonstrated a low level of academic preparedness on their admissions placement test to improve their basic academic skills and choose a realistic program of study. The first sections of the report describe the…

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…

Five state universities' programs to enhance persistence and graduation rates among minority students are profiled. For each, the graduation or persistence rate for a specific cohort is provided for all students, student athletes, and by ethnic group (American Indian, Asian American, Black, White, Other). Characteristics and goals of each program…

In 1989, Midlands Technical College implemented a comprehensive student tracking and retention reporting system to provide data on first-time students beginning in fall 1988. Highlighted findings for 1988 through 1991 included the following: (1) the freshman to sophomore retention rate for the fall 1990 cohort was 53.8%, a 6.4% increase over the…

These three issues of "Research in Developmental Education," examine the demographic characteristics and academic achievement of developmental students. Included are the following: (1) "Demographics and Developmental Education," by Hunter R. Boylan, which examines trends in the developmental student population and their college enrollments;…

Because of the tremendous growth in college populations in the last 30 years, the number of programs designed to help underprepared students has grown significantly. Whether or not these programs work is still in question. This study used the meta-analysis techniques of Glas (1976) and Hedges (1985) to study a subset of developmental studies…

This report on the effectiveness of Shelby State Community College's (SSCC) Academic and Developmental Services (A/D) Program consists primarily of statistical tables that describe three cohorts of full- and part-time students; i.e., those currently enrolled students who entered the college in fall 1985, 1986, or 1987. Data are presented on basic…

This evaluation of the Developmental Studies Program at Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC) draws from five in-depth studies of the characteristics, academic achievement, and persistence of developmental students and from other TNCC reports. After introductory material on the history and purpose of the program evaluation, a four-part summary of…

The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) tracked all students who first enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) in the fall of 1994 for three years to learn the proportion and characteristics of those who were retained each semester. Retention rates were compared across different racial groups to answer the question of whether…

After studying national literature and local needs, Kutztown University (Pennsylvania) created the Student Support Services Freshman Year Program to help at-risk freshmen acclimate to the campus environment and succeed in college. The program consists of five components: academic advising/counseling; a freshman colloquium; a student-mentor…

Describes the Conditional Acceptance Program (CAP), an intervention program geared towards underprepared, underachieving entering college freshmen. Identifies key program components while establishing the primary theoretical basis or rationale for each, and encourages the reader to critically evaluate and reflect upon various and integrated…

Findings of a national survey of remedial studies in two- and four-year colleges are presented. Data were reported for the 1983-1984 academic year. The study focused on providing estimates of the: number and type of remedial courses offered; percent of freshmen needing and taking courses; changes in enrollment; program characteristics such as type…

An evaluation of an academic support program at the University of Missouri-Columbia is discussed. The Learning Center's support program provides assistance in writing, math, study skills, reading, science, and other subjects, as well as individual and small group tutoring. The Learning Center keeps computer records of each student's participation…