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Washington's Student Achievement Initiative measures student progress for the incremental gains made that lead to college success. These measures, called momentum points, are in four categories: improving preparation for college-level courses, building towards a year of college credit, completing college math, and completing certificates, degrees and apprenticeships. This paper describes the success of basic skills students in transitioning to college-level classes, and the momentum they gain towards college success. (Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, January 2008)

Documents how much and what kinds of remedial coursework students take; examines the effects of taking remedial courses on graduation rates and time to degree; explores whether some kinds of remediation are more consequential than others; assesses the effects of remedial coursework completion on degree completion; and suggests implications for policies about remediation. (Paul Attewell, David Lavin, Thurston Domina and Tania Levey, Journal of Higher Education, Education, September/October 2006)

This brief makes a case for using cohort and momentum point data, disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, and institution, to improve program practices and community college system policies in California. Findings indicate that too few students reach transfer, retention, and completion milestones, and that a large percentage of students do not always follow enrollment patterns or degree checkpoints, as intended by policy. The brief outlines three recommendations: improving campus data collection practices, creating accountability structures through new funding models and assessment policies, and using data to align institutional and system-level efforts (Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at California State University Sacramento, October 2010).

The study follows a cohort model and tracks the course-taking patterns of first-time community college students over a seven-year period. The data suggest that aspirations, age, ethnicity, and institutional factors affect students' completion of a developmental course sequence. After presenting the descriptive data, the authors outline five policy implications for their research. Three are particularly relevant to policy discussions we have had at Getting Past Go: using common assessments and early interventions to reduce the need for developmental education; identifying delays in course-taking to develop better-aligned support; and, addressing the issue of students not completing remediation from the lowest course levels.

datanotes publication from Achieving the Dream examining the success of students from ATD institutions in developmental education. Finds that very few students start or complete their developmental education sequence.

Global Skills for College Completion (GSCC) deploys an online community of 26 outstanding basic skills faculty in 16 states on 13 campuses to innovate math and writing basic skills pedagogy to consistently increase pass rates to 80%. The project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the League for Innovation in the Community College in partnership with Knowledge in the Public Interest and LaGuardia Community College in New York.

Paper by Davis Jenkins finds that students should take their remedial education courses as part of a focused program of study, rather than as a stand alone academic activity.

The paper offers suggestions for ways community colleges can rethink their practices at key stages of students' engagement to substantially increase rates of program entry and completion. (Community College Research Center, January 2012)

"Some of the conclusions from the review include: * Assessments appear to be more successful in placing academically prepared students than in placing academically underprepared students. * Students who narrowly miss an assessment "cutoff" score and who complete remedial courses are no more likely to complete credit coursework than students with similar scores who continue straight to credit coursework without taking remedial classes first. * Multiple measures for placement, such as high school transcripts and written essays in addition to assessments, may improve placement accuracy, as might the use of more diagnostic and affective assessments. "What we found is that assessment does not appear to be an effective means of placement for all students," said Dr. Hughes. "States may want to do more research in this area before relying too much on one measure, an assessment score in this instance, for placing community college students.""

Discusses the failures of the current college remediation policies and programs, offers suggestions to fully prepare students for college, and suggests that co-requisite and additional academic supports could help unprepared students succeed. Link provides access to Full Report, Executive Summary, Data Tables and State Profiles. (Complete College America, April 2012)

Summarizes states' efforts to provide information on success of K-12 students after high school, such as postsecondary enrollment, remediation, persistence and degree completion. (Data Quality Campaign, December 2011)

Under the LA Grad Act, four-year institutions agree to achieve certain standards in exchange for authority to increase tuition. The performance objectives are aimed at improving college completion and meeting the state's workforce and economic development needs. One performance objective - efficiency and accountability - requires four-year institutions that enter into agreements to eliminate remedial education course offerings and developmental study programs unless such courses or programs cannot be offered at a community college in the same geographic area.

Report that sets ambitious goals to increase the college completion rates and decrease achievement gaps at California Community Colleges

This forum held by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) will spotlight community colleges that address the challenges of developmental education and produce best practices for supporting students' progress toward degree completion. The forum will be held Monday December 13th. Speakers Peter Adams and Elaine Baker have worked with ECS and Getting Past Go in the past.

Examines reasons for and ways to invest in higher education on sustainable basis. Makes recommendations in four areas: Affordability, Access, Quality and Accountability. Addresses several issues, including remedial education and completion.
(Colorado's Strategic Plan for Higher Education, November 2010)

The newspaper article from the Business Gazette (MD) details the efforts of Maryland communities colleges and Montgomery College, in particular, to redesign remediation by integrating basic math and English skills into vocational and specialized major courses. By including remedial curricula within major content areas, faculties hope to increase retention and completion rates for students who require college prep.

The newspaper article from the Albany Times Union details the efforts of the State Assembly's Committee on Higher Education. The committee has reviewed college readiness and completion data from SUNY institutions. The committee drew a link between underprepared students and its influence on the workforce and state's economic viability.

This issue of the Progress of Education Reform published by ECS summarizes recent research on the college success of students who enroll and complete developmental education.

New initiative funded by Gates and Lumina to work at the state policy level to increase college completion rates.

The news article from the Green Bay Press-Gazette describes the efforts of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to offer intensive, seven-week developmental education courses. The courses have improved student completion so greatly that the institution has considered expanding accelerated and modularized delivery models to college-level coursework.

Discusses emerging research on cognitive and non-cognitive skills that contribute to student readiness for college and careers, as well as their success in completing college. (Education Week, 12/23/10)