The provision of developmental education to the academically underprepared student in colleges and universities in the United States is traced historically. U.S. colleges admitted underprepared students before the advent of open admissions and equal opportunity policies. In fact, the presence of underprepared students in American colleges has been…

This digest focuses on the importance of learning assistance centers (LACs) to academic success and student retention. LACs differ from learning resource centers, which mainly provide and disseminate educational information. They also differ from development education offices, which give emphasis to teaching basic skills and preparing students for…

A study investigated how persistence in an academic self-management course related to self-control. Results indicate that the students dropping out had a limited repertoire of general learned resourcefulness skills. However, both high- and low-resourceful students who completed the course used the skills they learned and achieved comparable final…

Investigated the efficacy of teaching students at-risk for academic failure to deal with school-related stress. High school students were assigned to a coping skills training group, a counselor intervention group, or a control group. The students given coping skills training showed significantly improved social problem-solving ability. (Author)

A model that includes three distinct syllabi for orientation courses for different subgroups of the college or university freshman population is presented. Among the groups with special needs are underprepared students who may be motivated but need skill development, and underachieving students characterized by untapped potential. One means of…

The 16 chapters of this volume describe a wide variety of developmental programs intended to promote skill development and enhance academic performance for high-risk students at all levels of higher education. Following an introductory chapter by the editors, the chapters are: (1) "The Origin, Scope, and Outcomes of Developmental Education in the…

This handbook describes an alternative educational setting to prepare secondary students (usually ages 12 to 14) with behavior disorders or problems for full integration into regular secondary school programs in Peterborough (Ontario). In the program, the student's time is highly structured and closely monitored. Students receive individual…

The Student Tracking System (STS) at San Antonio College is designed to increase retention of high risk students, and primarily students enrolled in developmental education courses. In addition to identifying students experiencing difficulty in the classroom, STS alerts educational support services personnel to these students, provides a system of…

This paper describes the development of the University of Georgia's Division of Developmental Studies--a program providing special developmental instruction to students who otherwise would not have been admitted to the school. It consists of four components: English, mathematics, reading, and counseling. The objectives of each of these components…