Educational institutions are value-added suppliers of academic capability. Community colleges, while focused on access and diversity, operate within this framework. Unlike other institutions, however, remediation is a much greater part of their mission. It is consequently important to show that remediation has value. This article examines the impact of English attainment on success in subsequent general education courses. It finds a strong relationship between the two. Moreover, that relationship is not mainly a function of students' initial or placed level but is found to be a function of the last attained level. The implications of this for community colleges and for students entering college at low levels of ability are discussed. (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)