Developmental education has existed as a thread of American higher education since the founding of Harvard College in 1636, when tutors provided supplemental Latin programming for underprepared students. In recent years, developmental education is most prominent at community colleges: ninety-eight percent of the colleges offer some form of…

Developmental education reform has shown promising evidence toward improving short-term outcomes, yet questions remain about whether these early gains contribute momentum toward mid-term and longer-term postsecondary success. In 2014, Florida implemented one of the nation's most comprehensive developmental education reforms. Many students became…

Immersive scheduling engages students in one or two subjects at a time over short teaching periods. While there is incipient evidence that immersive delivery can heighten academic outcomes in undergraduate education, much less is known about its effectiveness in pathways or access programs. This exploratory mixed-methods study investigated how a…

Twenty-six states or systems have authorized the use of innovative developmental education instructional methods and interventions. This resource provides data on the use of instructional methods, and which ones are used or allowed per state. [View the full "50-State Comparison: Developmental Education Policies" here:…

This resource provides data on reporting requirements determined by state statute. Only statutorily created requirements are included. In this resource, the following categories are used: (1) student populations (e.g., recent high school graduates, total number or percentage of students enrolled in developmental courses); (2) student…

This resource provides data on state and systemwide developmental education assessment and placement policies. Depending on the unique higher education governance structure in each state, a state may have several policies included in this resource. System-level initiatives, programs and collaborations are excluded from this review. A few states…

Historically, colleges have used standardized testing to determine whether a student is ready for college-level work or requires developmental courses first, but this method has been criticized as inaccurate. To obtain more accurate placements, nearly three-quarters of colleges now use multiple measures assessment (MMA) systems. These systems…

Many high school graduates begin college and quickly realize that there is a discrepancy between their high school reading experiences and the expectations of reading for college classes. These students are often placed into developmental reading courses, often based on standardized test scores, to improve their vocabulary, reading comprehension,…

This study highlights the relationship between high school grade point average (GPA), ACT Composite score, and the likelihood of developmental course placement in college. Higher high school grade point averages (HSGPA) and ACT Composite scores were associated with lower probabilities of developmental course placement. This study also highlights…

This protocol guided the review of research that informs the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide entitled "Strategies for Postsecondary Students in Developmental Education -- A Practice Guide for College and University Administrators, Advisors, and Faculty." This protocol was used in conjunction with the "WWC Procedures…

This mixed methods experimental study examined the impacts of the Early College High School model on students' college readiness in mathematics measured by their success in college preparatory mathematics courses in the 9th through 11th grades, and disaggregated for academically prepared and underprepared students. This study looked at the…

This protocol guides the review of research that informs the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention reports in the Developmental Education topic area. The protocol is used in conjunction with the "WWC Procedures and Standards Handbooks (version 4.0)." Not all students enrolled in college are prepared to do college-level work in all…

Students enrolled in post-secondary developmental mathematics courses hold mathematical misunderstandings that begin before their college careers. Specifically, these students struggle with conceptual understanding of fractions, ratios, and proportions. The Common Core State Standards in Mathematics outline standards for K-12 mathematics…

The corequisite model is a promising developmental education reform effort that is helping students transition into college-level coursework more quickly. The purpose of this Brief is to offer recommendations to college leaders, faculty, and staff involved with implementing the corequisite model at their institution. Our recommendations are from a…

The problem investigated in this study was the low completion rates of students in mandated developmental education courses at a local community college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may contribute to the persistence of community college students who have completed mandated…