Developmental education, also termed remedial education, refers to curricula intended to improve the academic skills and knowledge of students who are underprepared for undergraduate coursework, particularly in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing. Many practitioners and researchers agree that developmental education should be improved,…

A significant challenge in higher education is to narrow the educational attainment gap between academically prepared and unprepared students. To this end, developmental or remedial education is intended to improve the academic skills and knowledge of students who are unprepared for undergraduate coursework, particularly in the areas of…

This article discusses the successful use of technology, rather than lectures, by Tennessee's community colleges to teach developmental reading and math. The redesign occurred with the support of the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT). In fall 2007, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) staff convened meetings to familiarize its…

Learning assistance meets the demands of rigorous college courses through highly varied activities and approaches. The historic role of learning assistance in the larger scope of U.S. higher education is significant though sometimes low profile. Learning assistance bridges access for a more diverse student body. From students' perspectives, it…

This issue of "The Progress of Education Reform" will address the following three questions: (1) What are the challenges that developmental education programs face that affect their success? (2) Are developmental education programs an effective strategy for increasing college attainment rates? and (3) How can state policy improve the…

The developmental program at Los Angeles City College, designed six years ago for those with low likelihood of success, has been regularly up-dated as needed. For the past two years, counselor assistants and student tutors have helped the regular faculty. In 1968, student tutors were assigned to help students, both regular and developmental, in…

Addresses administrative questions surrounding the design of remedial programs. Focuses on administrative support, organizational structure, internal program design, testing programs, and program outcomes. Lists factors to be considered in designing and evaluating developmental studies programs. (AYC)

Scholarship and persistence statistics for low-aptitude students in the developmental studies program include: (1) a comparison of the fall 1967 developmental students' grades with the grades for those remaining in spring 1968 and taking regular college classes; (2) the spring 1968 grades in each subject for these same students, and a comparison…

Criticisms have been raised about large scale community college involvement in developmental education. A number of these criticisms seem valid, while others clearly are not. Some of the most commonly voiced concerns include the following: (1) "The community college is the wrong place to provide developmental education"; (2)…

In recognition of the need to improve the delivery of basic skills instruction and other learning assistance services to its students, the Washington community colleges established a statewide support system to encourage resource sharing, promote professional growth, and assess the status of developmental education in the state's 27 two-year…

In 1982, the California Postsecondary Education Commission conducted a statewide survey of remedial education in California's community colleges for the 3-year period, 1978-79, 1979-80, and 1980-81. College of the Sequoias's (COS's) response to this survey included the following information: (1) COS offered 6 remedial reading courses, 4 remedial…

Discusses mainstreaming and centralization, two ways in which community colleges organize developmental education. Compares these models in terms of instructional quality, ancillary services, teacher characteristics, student reactions, reputation, and remediation. Offers recommendations to college administrators and state policy makers for…

States that second-language acquisition students enrolled in developmental courses share the problem of making the transition from the personal to the abstract in discussing and reading academic topics. Reports on the collaboration aimed at increasing students' understanding of complex sociological and anthropological concepts while at the same…

Various aspects of the goals and processes of the evaluation of remedial programs are discussed in this paper. The first section discussses assumptions related to remedial program evaluation in California's community colleges and highlights two perspectives, based on whether the remedial programs satisfy internal and/or external criteria. Next, a…

The report discusses the findings of a study on the reading and writing demands of college-level courses at Maryland's Charles County Community College (College of Southern Maryland as of July 1, 2000). The Language and Literature Department wanted to determine whether its developmental courses were actually preparing students for the reading and…