This report analyzes evidence from a new study assessing the effectiveness of Quantway 1 (QW1), a single-term accelerated developmental math course with a focus on quantitative reasoning. Quantway® is one of the Pathways courses (along with Statway®) developed by a network of faculty and content experts convened by the Carnegie Foundation to…

A large number of community college students are developmental students. One of the most important challenges for community colleges today is to create programs that effectively educate community college developmental students. This study examines the effect of learning assistance centers on the success and persistence of students at a Southern…

This research study compared the effects of the intrusive form of developmental academic advising (IDAA) and the influence of additional academic support services on the mean cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPAs) of 4 randomly assembled groups of academically at-risk college students during 2 separate semesters. Academically at-risk students are…

This study investigates how the impact of developmental education is moderated by classroom composition. Drawing on a regression discontinuity design, we used data from 3,429 community college students, nested within 223 classrooms, to explore the extent to which classroom and instructor characteristics moderated the effect of developmental…

In recent years, community colleges have come into the spotlight nationally in terms of their potential to assist in the revitalization of the economy. This has resulted in an increased need for community colleges to understand more fully the factors that influence student persistence. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to…

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of learning communities for underprepared first-year students. The topic was examined by synthesizing data collected on a cohort of first-year college students participating in a "developmental" (special admittance) program. A quasi-experimental design evaluated the effectiveness of…

This descriptive study entitled: College Students' Perceptions of the Impact of Developmental Courses on Their Academic Performance and Persistence investigated the perceptions of college students and their responses to developmental courses. The population included students enrolled in the first semester of summer school 2010, at a selected urban…

Student retention is a topic at the forefront for all post secondary education institutions. Supporting students in their studies, providing the resources to empower them to complete their education is a critical component in the quality and success of colleges. It is also a fiscal concern for colleges. While first year programs abound, community…

AT GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE, A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED FOR ENTERING STUDENTS WITH HIGH SCHOOL GRADE AVERAGES OF 1.5 OR LESS IN ACADEMIC SUBJECTS. TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THE AUTHOR COMPARED THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF THREE GROUPS--(1) A CONTROL GROUP OF LOW ACHIEVERS WHO ENROLLED IN THE COLLEGE BEFORE THE…

The Fresh Start (FS) program was initiated at Gainesville College (GC), in Georgia, to target at-risk students and improve their overall academic performance and retention. The program provides immediate placement of students into remedial classes, academic support services, intrusive counseling, and long-term computerized tracking to assess…

Describes a study to determine the effect of package courses, (i.e., linked content and skills courses) on the educational outcomes of first-year developmental students. Finds that the experimental group had a higher mean grade point average than the control group, but only for the term of the course. (24 citations) (AJL)

This study attempted to determine the effect of a self-development seminar on the learning of 27 randomly selected college freshmen as measured by grade point averages (GPA), academic units completed, and retention rate (the percentage of students returning for a second term) for one semester beginning fall 1977. Both experimental and control…

This study focused on the factors that were positive contributors to the success of two-year college students at six colleges who were or had been enrolled in basic skill developmental programs. For study purposes, success involved student eligibility to continue in a chosen program. Variables used in evaluating student success/non-success…

In order to provide educational opportunities for all students while preventing the "open door" from becoming a "revolving door", Southeastern Community College (North Carolina) established the Resources for Student Learning (RSL) program. During 1976, a comprehensive evaluation of the success and/or reasons for failure of current and former RSL…