This mixed methods study examined the impact of grit and self-efficacy and the factors of these constructs on the performance of at-risk, developmental placement students, surveying 184 first-year students before the midterm point of their first semester. Following the quantitative portion, six upperclassmen, who had started their careers in the…

Successful transition to college requires understanding the college system as much as the academic subjects taught therein. This article describes the creation of the Transitions Lab, a T.I.D.E.S. model (Boylan, 2009) of student support including collaboration with institutional and community partners, advising, tutoring, and retesting assistance…

In this testimony by Alexander Mayer, Deputy Director, Postsecondary Education, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC), Before the New Jersey State Assembly Higher Education Committee, the following three points are emphasized: (1) Developmental education is a major challenge facing low-income college students in New Jersey and across…

This study examines Latina/o students' remedial math needs and outcomes. Data were drawn from a national sample of Latina/o students. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling techniques were used to predict three successful remediation outcomes. Results highlight the importance of providing financial aid and academic support to Latina/o students,…

The primary purpose of the study was to explore the potential impact of voluntary remediation on success in gateway credit courses (ENC1101 and MAT1033) and on minority and low-income students in Florida. Mean grades and proportions of successful students were compared based on remediation policies and students' voluntary completion of a…

The data for this study were gathered from an assignment consisting of 10 number sense related mathematics problems completed in an algebra course at developmental level. The results of the study suggest that a majority of developmental mathematics students use routine algorithmic procedures rather than mathematical reasoning to solve problems.…

In 2012, the State of Connecticut enacted Public Act 12-40, legislation that dramatically changed the way remedial education was theorized, designed, and delivered at community colleges and regional state universities in Connecticut. One of the most controversial features of this legislative movement was that it appeared to establish a…

As more students enter postsecondary education without the numeracy and literacy skills necessary for success, Ontario colleges are facing a challenge. While enrolment-based funding drives the colleges to seek growth to ensure financial stability, the quality assurance mechanism leads them to divert millions of dollars from their operating budgets…

The purpose of this two-part qualitative study was to examine the factors associated with developmental education student persistence at a 2-year college. The population for this study included 63 students that were currently taking at least one developmental education course at a community college in Northern Kentucky. The initial data collection…

From Washington to Connecticut, Arkansas to Indiana, state policymakers and community college leaders are focused on building completion pathways to ensure that more students succeed in postsecondary education and make smooth transitions to careers. Financial aid is both an effective and a necessary policy lever to promote this goal. Not only do…

Building on their work through Achieving the Dream, six states and 15 community colleges joined the Developmental Education Initiative (DEI) in 2009 to take on one of higher education's most daunting challenges: improving the success of students who enter community college academically underprepared. The states and Jobs for the Future, which…

In this article, we describe an approach to uncovering learners' literacy-oriented conceptualizations while they are enrolled in transitional, or developmental, reading and writing classes in a college context. This approach entailed eliciting and then analyzing the metaphors for academic literacies produced by students in 15 sections of a…

Purpose: The purpose of this directory was to identify, describe, and evaluate evidence that the education practices improve academic performance, close the achievement gap, and improve persistence towards graduation for low-income, first-generation, and historically-underrepresented 6th grade through college students. Method: The sample for the…

Using data from Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, this issue of "Data Notes" investigates the number of attempts it takes students to complete all developmental education courses to which they are referred. Subsequent gateway course completion and overall persistence are also examined. Three-year outcomes were analyzed and…

"Data Notes" is a bimonthly publication that examines data to illuminate the challenges facing Achieving the Dream colleges and to chart their progress over time. Gateway courses generally include the first college-level English and math courses students are required to take. Increasing the number of students who attempt gateway classes…