This digest offers community college academic leaders a synopsis of the key components necessary for building a successful developmental education instructional framework. Specific emphasis is placed on program structure, faculty, and program improvement. Developmental education is defined as "courses or services provided for the purpose of…

The primary purpose of this postsecondary developmental mathematics curriculum evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the Center for Occupational Research and Development's (CORD) Mathematics Foundations for Introductory College Mathematics. A contextually based, hands-on developmental mathematics curriculum, Mathematics Foundations is…

The Michigan Center for Career and Technical Education (MCCTE) at Michigan State University conducted a study on a rural college (dubbed "Riverdale") in the Midwest to collect quantitative and qualitative data that could be used to improve student retention in developmental courses. The research team analyzed student profiles, student…

The uneven skills profiles of diversely prepared students suggest the need for a broadened definition of basic skills. An enlarged, pivotal role is proposed for skills specialists, with a goal of helping to create skills-competent institutions. (Author/MLW)

Tests must be responsive to the needs of adult learners who offer a unique history of formal education, come from different cultural/linguistic backgrounds, and may have had little exposure to tests. Transfer, occupational, continuing education and leisure program, and developmental studies of students' needs are examined. (Author/CM)

Describes the underlying human development theory that supports developmental-learning as opposed to remedial-learning assistance. Outlines a model of learning assistance based on these principles. (Author)

Outlines Hudson Valley Community College's Individualized Studies Program which provides a liberal arts base upon which students design their programs. Describes the program, which also serves a developmental function, in terms of its students, learning laboratories, study skills course, and ongoing orientation process. (DMM)

An analysis of about 10 years of efforts to increase the number of disadvantaged students who graduate from Michigan State University business programs and the experiences of 845 disadvantaged students suggest that the special sections developed for these students have helped increase graduation rates. (SLD)

Focuses on the effective use of technology in developmental mathematics instruction. Suggests that graphing calculators facilitate teaching and learning while scientific calculators do not. Discusses ways that hearing-impaired mathematics students can use the Internet for instruction at the Rochester Institute of Technology (New York). (Contains…

Argues that both personal and text-based essays should be used in teaching writing to students in developmental composition courses. Suggests that combining the two approaches and using short fiction or fictive autobiographies as course readings helps to initiate the student's transition from personal to text-based writing. (Contains 21…

Responds to the argument that college standards must be made tougher to, in turn, force high schools to improve. Argues that tougher standards would result in the elimination of developmental education and discusses the value of developmental programs. Includes excerpts from papers written by the author's students refuting the argument. (AJL)

Reviews six principles for effective developmental education teaching, including commitment to teaching underprepared students, command of the subject matter, and ability to teach a diverse student population. Integrates research findings from successful developmental education programs and general principles for effective teaching in…

Third in a series of columns focusing on teaching students to think critically, this column provides three templates useful in helping students practice analyzing and assessing the logic of a text. Discusses how to analyze an article, essay, or chapter; comprehend the logic of a textbook; and evaluate an author's reasoning. (NB)

Describes how a program at Dorchester High School in Boston, Massachusetts--the College Opportunity and Career Help (Coach) program--aims to find the best way to get more low-income students to apply for higher education. (EV)

Offers suggestions for using folk tales from around the world and story-telling for classroom instruction. Because folk tales are ultimately about communication and the way people in a society interact, a multi-cultural class can make good use of them. Offers examples for application to language arts and social science courses. (Contains 9…