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This research paper from the McGraw-Hill Research Foundation's paper, The Return on Investment (ROI) from Adult Education and Training contends that billions of dollars could be earned, saved and pumped back into the struggling economy as a result in investments in effective and efficient workforce development programs.

The Office of Research and Policy Analysis (RPA) is the research arm of the Board of Regents, analyzing higher education and related state and national policy issues and their impact on the University System of Georgia. Reports in this section analyze success of students in developmental education courses as a means for evaluating their "Learning Support" Programs

Executive Summary from MDRC on their latest research on the scaling up of strategies at community colleges to instruct students, particularly basic skills students, in learning communities. Findings have more to do with coordination of the scale up, than actual results. Findings consistent with earlier research that the learning communities did not result in effective curriculum integration or alignment.

Powerpoint from a webinar hosted by the Community College Research Center as part of the National Center for Postsecondary Research

Report examines the first 26 colleges to join Achieving the Dream. The colleges developed more sophisticated methods for data analysis and efficient systems for monitoring their efforts to improve student achievement. Conversely, about one-fifth of the colleges still struggled to implement many of the initiative's recommended practices, hindered primarily by weak institutional research capacity. (MDRC and Community College Research Center, February 2011)

The pdf download of the report from the McGraw-Hill Research Foundation.

Finds that remediation does little to develop students' skills. But the study also finds little evidence that it discourages initial enrollment or persistence, except for students mis-assigned to remediation. Instead, the primary effect of remediation appears to be that students take remedial courses instead of college-level courses. (Judith Scott-Clayton and Olga Rodriguez, National Bureau of Economic Research, August 2012) Link to Abstract http://papers.nber.org/papers/w18328?utm_campaign=ntw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ntw

Remedial courses fail to prepare students for college-level work, but the remedial track may serve other purposes, according to a new study. The research found that being placed into remediation is not as discouraging for students as conventional wisdom holds. Also, remedial courses' primary effect as a sorting mechanism for students shouldn't be overlooked. (Inside Higher Ed, 08/21/12)

The report is intended to help state and college leaders understand the latest research on assessments used for course placement , make sense of the contentious debate issues, and evaluate their own options for moving forward. (Jobs for the Future, August 2012)

Publication from the Community College Research Center that reviews evidence on students entering community colleges needing developmental education.

This brief, reviews evidence on students who enter community college with weak academic skills, and it summarizes study findings on the effectiveness of developmental education. The brief offers recommendations for a broad reform agenda based on a comprehensive approach to improving developmental education. (Thomas Bailey, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, February 2009))

Shorter overview of Bailey's ideas for reforming developmental education.

Studies the impact of student success courses on student persistence, completion and transfer. The report finds some impact, but was unclear about which characteristics of these courses were most beneficial. Researchers examined data from Florida's community college system. (Matthew Zeidenberg, Davis Jenkins and Juan Calcagano; Community College Research Center, 2007)

Examines learning assistance centers and specialized skills labs in 15 community colleges and found that these approaches increase students' academic preparedness for postsecondary study. It is recommended that future research compare the effectiveness of learning assistance services and developmental education courses in boosting students' basic academic skills. ( Dolores Perin, Columbia University, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 28: 559-582, 2004)

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.

Assesses the impact on enrollment pathways and academic milestones on student success, as part of a larger study. The report finds that enrollment pathways are an effective strategy for adult students and academic milestones are more effective for younger students. The researchers used data from students at Florida community colleges. (Juan Calcagno, Peter Crosta, Davis Jenkins and Thomas Bailey; Community College Research Center, 2006)

This piece is great for outlining the basis of the recent movement toward "momentum" points in postsecondary education.

Thomas Nenon, the Vice Provost for Assessment, Institutional Research and Reporting, served as a resource expert for GPG's second online Jam, "The Heart of the Matter: Assessment, Placement and Delivery in Developmental Education," in April 2010.

Analyzes the predictive validity of commonly used placement assessments and finds that they are more predictive of success in math than in English, and more predictive of who is likely to do well in college-level coursework than of who is likely to fail. Also finds that using multiple measures could reduce remediation misplacements or rates. (Community College Research Center, February 2012))

Examines the validity of placement tests and high school information in predicting course grades and college performance. Finds that the ACCUPLACER and COMPASS placement tests do not yield strong predictions of how students will perform in college. In contrast, high school GPAs are useful for predicting many aspects of students' college performance. (Community College Research Center, February 2012)

Finds that students who enrolled in a student success course in the first semester were more likely to earn college-level credits and were more likely to persist to the second year. Also finds that students referred to remedial education were more likely to earn college-level credits if they enrolled in a student success course in their first term. (Community College Research Center, February 2012)

This report proposes a new opposing forces framework for understanding the dysfunction of the developmental system. Looks at three sets of opposing forces: system-wide consistency versus institutional autonomy; efficient versus effective assessment; and promotion of student progression versus enforcement of academic standards. (Center for Community College Research, November 2011)

"The Importance of Minority-Serving Institutions January 16, 2012, 7:53 pm By Marybeth Gasman This past week the Institute for Higher Education Policy released a report titled The Role of Minority-Serving Institutions in National College Completion Goals. The report urges the nation to look closely at minority-serving institutions (MSI's) and their work with underrepresented minorities for clues on student learning and student success. It also emphasizes the role of MSI's in educating a disproportionate number of low-income and first-generation students. Nearly 98 percent of the black and Native American students who attend MSI's are eligible for need-based financial aid. Moreover, almost 50 percent of MSI students receive Pell Grants in comparison to all students. These students, according to countless research studies, are some of the most difficult to retain and graduate as they have less access to quality education and opportunities."