In this dissertation, acceleration in developmental mathematics at Utah Valley University through compression of a 4-course sequence into a 2-course sequence was examined to determine the extent to which sequence length predicted student success outcomes, including completion of, pass/fail grades in, and re-enrollment into subsequent developmental…

This paper discusses the result of a statewide research effort in California to improve the accuracy of student placement in math and English in the California Community College system. We apply decision tree methods to high school and college transcript data to identify key measures of high school achievement that predict success in ten levels of…

Using self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) as the theoretical framework, this study explored how high-school GPA and motivation contributed to academic performance and persistence among students enrolled in developmental-education courses during the fall of 2016 at a two-year technical college in the Midwest. A non-random purposive…

At community colleges, student preparedness for college-level work is a significant initial barrier. Over 70% of community college students are reported to be inadequately prepared for college mathematics. Because students need to pass college-level math in order to enroll in subsequent courses required for their majors or to complete general…

This study explores developmental education placement rates and how well high school grade point average and exam performance predicted performance in college-level courses among first-time students who enrolled in the University of Alaska system from fall 2008 to spring 2012. Like other colleges and universities, the University of Alaska, the…

A system of qualification options has evolved that is complementary to company-based and school-based vocational training. Thus far, these alternatives have been largely disregarded by vocational education research. Yet with respect to the number of annual entries, those alternatives are currently nearly as significant as conventional vocational…

In 1996, Florida's Miami-Dade Community College conducted a study to examine the college preparatory completion rates of first-time degree-seeking students based on their verbal and mathematics entry-level placement scores. Results include the following: (1) fewer than 30% of students scoring at the lowest level on the mathematics placement test…

In August 1993, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, in Virginia, undertook a study of developmental education (DE) practices in community colleges in Virginia and the other 14 member states of the Southern Regional Education Board to determine factors associated with program effectiveness. Surveys were mailed to the presidents of 313 two-year…

In January 1982, Wytheville Community College (WCC) adopted the English Qualifying Exam (EQE) as a mandatory placement test for all students wishing to enter English 101 or 111 (two first-quarter, college-level courses). Although the EQE proved suitable for placing students and predicting the number of quarters that would be required to complete…

This study investigated the relationship of standardized test scores and locally developed test scores to course placement and academic success in a developmental program. The sample consisted of 281 students who matriculated in the Division of Developmental Studies at a southern university. Eligible students for enrollment in Developmental…

A major concern for those in higher education is whether the instruments they use for screening students are valid and predictive. Of particular interest is whether a grammar test, used in many institutions to screen students for developmental English, and a reading comprehension test, used to screen students for developmental reading, truly…