GettingPastGo

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) established a new systemwide initiative to redesign its developmental math and English curriculum using technology-supported active-learning strategies. The goal was to achieve improvements in learning outcomes as well as reductions in instructional costs. This effort was undertaken in collaboration with the National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), building on the successful models and lessons learned from NCAT's Program in Course Redesign and Roadmap to Redesign.

Examines student performance at the University of Phoenix through several internal and external measures. The report outlines three initiatives, including Just-In-Time Remediation. The University of Phoenix has instituted a program of integrative learning on a gradual plane to provide just-in-time skills. Remediation is provided through online tools and offers study skills support. (University of Phoenix, December 2009)

This could be the next wave in innovation in developmental education. Just in time remediation.

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)

Focuses on where California's K-12 and community college systems meet and explores some of the potential opportunities for building better bridges between them. These include utilizing common approaches to assess student readiness and enabling K-12 and community college educators to jointly plan for the successful transition of students from high school to community college. (EdSource, November 2008)

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)

Examines educational experiences and attainment as well as employment and earnings of adult students. The study also identifies the critical points where adult students drop out or fail to advance to the next level in order to stimulate thinking about how to bridge those gaps and facilitate student advancement. (Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, April 2005)

Examines three states -- Florida, Oregon, and Ohio - that have built powerful new data systems that track student progress after high school into the work force and college. (Chad Aldeman, Education Sector, January 2010)

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is engaged in a strategic planning process to improve performance. A key objective is to encourage colleges to improve retention and academic success for unprepared students. This report presents the main findings from a study of VCCS developmental education and outlines suggestions to attain the strategic plan goals. (Josipa Roksa, Davis Jenkins, Shanna Smith Jaggars, Matthew Zeidenberg & Sung-Woo Cho, Community College Research Center, November 2009)

Explores two key questions: What information do states collect on their higher education institutions? How do they use that information to affect institutional improvement? (Chad Aldeman and Kevin Carey, Education Sector, June 2009)

Finds that adult students who had been awarded academic credit for "prior learning" earned in the military, corporate training and other non-classroom settings were more than twice as likely to graduate, and to persist even if they did not graduate, than were their peers who had not earned such credit. (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, March 2009)

Summarizes state progress on the alignment of high school policies with the demands of college and careers, with respect to standards, graduation requirements, P-20 data systems, assessments and accountability. (Achieve, March 2010)

Network for supporting Adult Basic Education providers

The NCTN supports Adult Basic Education staff, programs and state agencies in establishing and strengthening ABE-to-college transition services through technical assistance, professional development, collegial sharing, advocacy and increased visibility for this critical sector of the adult basic education system.

The Early Assessment Program is a collaborative effort between the California State University (CSU), the California Department of Education (CDE), and the State Board of Education to determine a high school students' readiness to do college-level work in English language arts and math and to provide students opportunities to improve skills during their senior year.

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.

The Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University is partnering with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) to analyze the effects of the college's Accelerated Learning Program (ALP). Under ALP, students placed into upper-level developmental writing are "mainstreamed" into English 101 classes. Preliminary results are very promising. Funding for this study is being provided by Lumina Foundation for Education, as part of the Achieving the Dream initiative.

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.

Analysis conducted by Achieve, Inc. on the English Assessment for the Early Assessment Program in the California State University System.

Research at Sacramento State University on the California State University Early Assessment Program (EAP). Research finds a positive impact of the program on college readiness for students entering Sacramento State University

Melinda Gates' speech to the American Association of Community Colleges outlining Gates' Foundation strategy on developmental education.

Article on CUNY's new community college that is cohort based and offers intense services to students, while limiting degree options. Goal is to significantly increase graduation rates.