Group items tagged

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)

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)

Explores 13 promising practices for strengthening community college student engagement and success. The practices include assessment and placement, support services, remedial education, academic alert and intervention, and others. (Center for Community College Student Engagement, February 2012 )

Community colleges can improve graduation rates by offering a course that teaches students how to navigate college with lessons on study skills, time management and how to find the bursar's office. Yet while "student success" courses are increasingly common, resistance remains strong at many community colleges. (Inside Higher Ed, 02/21/12)

Examines the assessment and course placement practices across California's community colleges for incoming students and recommends strategies for overall improvement. (WestEd, September 2010)

Resource shared at the GPG Workshop on Remedial Education in Nashville, TN on October 5-7, 2010.

Summarizes the findings and recommendations of the Developmental Education Task Force that was charged with identifying steps the Virginia Community College System could take to increase the success of students that require remedial education. (Virginia Community College System, September 2009)

Resource shared at the GPG Workshop on Remedial Education in Nashville, TN on October 5-7, 2010

Resource shared at the GPG Workshop on Remedial Education in Nashville, TN on October 5-7, 2010

Article on how a tribal four-year institution focused on developmental education through a Academic Success department

Examines the impact of learning communities on community colleges finds that this approach is well suited for the teaching of basic skills. (Cathy McHugh Engtrom and Vincent Tinto, Pell Institute, 2008)

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 the impact of learning communities on student success at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York. The study found that learning community students are more likely to pass English-assessment tests and transfer to a four-year institution. (Susan Scrivener, Dan Bloom, Allen LeBlanc, Christina Paxson, Cecilia Elena Rouse and Colleen Sommo; MDRC, 2008)

Provides a summary of key findings from the literature on effective developmental education practice. Descriptions of promising practices are grouped into the following categories: program management and organization; assessment, instruction, and curriculum; student supports; faculty; and public policy. (Wendy Schwartz and Davis Jenkins, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, September 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)

Identifies current state policies that impede student attainment of basic skills for postsecondary education. The report recommends using standardized assessments, requiring remediation upon enrollment and provides flexibility to community colleges to address issues. (Elizabeth G. Hill, California Legislative Auditors Office, 2008)

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate program at Northern Virginia Community College gives students a structured system of support from high school to community college to a four-year university. Pathway is designed to meet a range of student needs -- academic, financial or personal -- through one coherent program. Specially designed "fast-track remediation" classes in math and English attempt to steer some students clear of traditional remedial classes, where they can get bogged down unnecessarily. The program also uses learning communities.

Partnering with six community colleges, MDRC developed and evaluated four distinct programs based on the following approaches: financial incentives, reforms in instructional practices, and enhancements in student services. (MDRC, March 2011)