The University of California, Davis, medical school's intensive summer preentry program for disadvantaged minority students, which previews the first year curriculum, has incorporated a problem-based learning component to augment and prolong its effects. Objective measures of course effectiveness are unavailable; however, self-esteem, study…

The Universal High School Program (UHS) is a pilot secondary program in the St. Vrain Valley School District in Longmont, Colorado. It is designed to address the needs of a small niche educational group: highly able students who do not fit well into the mainstream of the educational system. These students are at risk educationally, but not for the…

This fastback provides an overview of developmental education at the college level, focusing on what the concept means and how developmental education programs work. Developmental education is an umbrella term that includes both academic and social/psychological support services for underprepared students. Developmental education students are…

This booklet describes the history, rationale, and operations of Alvin Community College (ACC's) Developmental Education Program. Section I, first, outlines the college's commitment to the philosophy of developmental education; second, provides a history of developmental education at ACC, covering the adoption of an open-door policy, the…

Describes LaGuardia Community College's two-phase developmental studies program, which consists of a basic skills program (in which students are assigned a package of courses based on their abilities) and basic skills instruction integrated into content area courses. Covers program content and administration, teacher training, and evaluation…

Describes a six-week residential orientation and study skills program for educationally disadvantaged students at Livingston College, New Jersey, which includes mock registration, developmental workshops, content study skills courses, purposeful nonacademic activities, and group counseling, and which is adapted to the needs of a multiethnic,…

How can a high school advisory and mentoring program be established? Schools report that more and more students seem to slip through the cracks or are lost in the shuffle. More students fail ninth grade than any other grade level. William Glasser (1986) estimates that schools fail to engage more than half the students because they fail to fulfill…

An academic support program that integrates learning skills instruction into entry-level college courses is described and evaluated. The program is shown to have a positive effect upon student performance, attrition, and reenrollment patterns. Longitudinal shifts in grade distribution patterns are noted. (Author/MLW)

Examines the implementation and operation of Tri-County Technical College's developmental education program. Specific topics covered include the selection of program personnel, the development of a diagnostic testing component, articulation with other academic departments, and the compilation of progress reports which provide for continuous…

Describes and evaluates the effectiveness of an individualized Writing Lab module, developed to prepare students enrolled in Savannah State College's Developmental Studies English Fundamentals classes for the post-Collegiate Placement Examination. The module uses instructor-authored, computer-assisted instruction to provide immediate feedback on…

A four-week summer program at Georgia State University prepares entering African-American students for college work through instruction in mathematics, reading, composition, study skills, word processing, tutoring, academic and career counseling, mentoring, and follow-up. The program has been well received and succeeded in enhancing retention.…

Background information on Wascana Institute's (Regina, Saskatchewan) existing learning assistance programs is presented along with a proposal for a readily-accessible, one-stop learning assistance center (LAC) that will furnish the information and services underprepared adult learners require to achieve academic success. First, introductory…

The workshop represented in this proceedings was conducted to stimulate dialogue on the place of remedial instruction in postsecondary education and to promote the effectiveness of remedial/developmental education and the maintenance of educational quality. The proceedings begin with an introduction to the workshop and its 14 resulting…

Three techniques for teaching effective reading--using students' textbooks, reading modules, and individual instructional packets--have proven successful in reducing reading time while improving comprehension skills for students in a reading and study skills course at a Texas university. Students assigned to the course use their content area…

Milwaukee Area Technical College's (MATC's) responses to the need for developmental mathematics instruction are reviewed in this paper. The paper begins by briefly describing a project which MATC undertook in 1965 through 1970 to develop technical mathematics materials and courses which were relevant for technicians and matched the entry-level…